tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37105902012-02-02T15:55:25.064-06:00Healthy, Simple, and Budget-friendly Recipes for People With Busy LivesSunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.comBlogger2531100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-79813210324875997112012-02-02T09:23:00.003-06:002012-02-02T09:53:58.560-06:00

Kale is magic.  In one serving of kale, you get 130% the daily value of vitamin C, twice the daily value of vitamin A, fiber, calcium, iron, protein...all for 33 calories.  Kale is magic. Admittedly, it's not the easiest greenery to eat.  I like wilting them into lentils or soup, but I found that making baked chips out of them is the best way for kale to score a 10 for everyone, especially

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-34335903355889964042012-01-25T06:02:00.004-06:002012-02-02T10:06:58.827-06:00

First of all, welcome to the newly improved Sunny-side Up Recipes!  I thought the ole blog needed a good makeover, so I opted for a cleaner, refreshing design.  I'm working on a banner to complete the look, but expect some small changes here and there as I play around with the designs.  Anyways, let's get to the recipe! Last weekend, my dear friend Ronnie celebrated her birthday.  Ronnie and I

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-26745571022952374302011-08-29T05:30:00.003-05:002012-02-02T10:08:27.207-06:00

  Hello, Sunny-side Up Recipes readers!  It seems that the most popular pages on this site tend to be Korean food recipes, so here is another one for you to enjoy.  This is one that I always thought was difficult, but it turns out, it's super easy to make and requires very few ingredients.Of course, the secret ingredient behind this dish is what Koreans call sesame leaves, or kkennip, a very

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-53571166230532452822011-08-22T05:17:00.004-05:002011-08-22T05:17:00.087-05:00

When my good friend Jim came over for brunch last month, I was excited for the chance to make a quiche in my new quiche pan.  This recipe is exciting because you can modify it in so many ways.  In fact, this recipe is modified from a swiss cheese and mushroom quiche recipe in my Moosewood Cookbook.  I modified it because Drew and I would have to eat the leftovers, and Drew doesn't like mushrooms

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-49452739806807181832011-08-17T06:04:00.002-05:002011-08-17T06:04:00.193-05:00

My dear friend Johanna is an excellent baker, on top of being the world's sweetest person and a really intelligent researcher and awesome friend.  Oh, sorry guys, she's taken.  But don't be sad, because I'm about to share with you the recipe she gave me and Drew for our wedding (along with a cute pie plate and dough cutter--how adorable is that?) that really makes one of the best pie crusts I've

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-12425342701514096702011-08-13T07:32:00.005-05:002011-08-13T07:32:00.392-05:00

This is a recipe that Drew's nana gave me at a bridal shower last winter.  I've been meaning to try it out for a while, and the two overripe-yet-not-quite-dead bananas on my counter gave me the perfect excuse to make this recipe.  It's an extremely healthy recipe, actually, but you wouldn't know it by how delectable it tastes, especially with a good cup of dark roast coffee.  Droooool.Let's

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-79978067222936859282011-08-08T06:26:00.001-05:002011-08-08T06:26:00.385-05:00

  This recipe is actually an oldie.  I baked this pie a few times when I was in high school, and it usually came out pretty well.  Which is why when I baked it a few weeks ago and I failed horribly at making the lemon part solidify, I was extremely embarrassed and ashamed.  My sweet husband ate the messy half-liquid pie anyway, but my failure made me more determined than ever to redeem myself.  I

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-76865615772872676692011-08-01T16:19:00.000-05:002011-08-01T16:19:38.382-05:00

  The first time I had gnocchi was with my best friend from childhood, Amanda, whose family is from Italy.  They are such delicious little pods of potatoey goodness, and for years I was under the impression they were impossibly hard to make.  Not so!  I made gnocchi a while back with Dani, and I realized how easy it actually is.  I finally got a potato ricer, which makes life a whole lot easier

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-56376767149686189692011-06-30T06:15:00.003-05:002011-06-30T06:15:00.893-05:00

Though the title of this post might have already scared some people off, I really look back fondly at this pasta dish that I sort of developed during the past semester.  Although I love to cook every night, during the last phase of writing the Beast I wasn't able to really spend time making food when I got home from campus, since I had to turn right around to start working again.  So this was a

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-22406764702622298202011-06-20T06:00:00.001-05:002011-06-19T23:26:54.607-05:00

I love anything that involves chickpeas.  They are the perfect texture, shape, and flavor (not too bean-y) and provides so many good nutrients.  Here is a wonderful side dish that is easy to make because it takes very few ingredients, so it can be whipped up real quick if you're needing something to go with your entree.  At the same time, it is hearty enough to be the main star in a lunch, like

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-78805778888909503802011-06-17T12:41:00.000-05:002011-06-17T12:41:05.487-05:00

Hello food lovers!  I'm back!  I am so sorry i was away for so long, but good news!  I successfully defended my dissertation last month, so that's a wonderful victory.  And about two weeks ago, I married the man of my dreams!  We now live in a darling apartment and enjoying city life together :) Our new kitchen is small in size but has considerable counter space and storage, so I'm happy!  I had

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-7565154428359872232011-04-14T23:06:00.000-05:002011-04-14T23:06:36.101-05:00

I miss food blogging.  I don't know what happened, other than life got in the way.  I am currently several weeks away from earning my Ph.D. (God willing...) and about 6 weeks from getting married.  And I know I've been bad, I want to get back to this blog so much, and I think about it all the time and think about you, my dear readers.  I got this sweet email the other day (actually, it was sent

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-69086350681747931692010-12-27T06:15:00.001-06:002010-12-27T06:15:00.102-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  If your family is anything like mine, you are probably deliciously full and feeling slightly guilty about the amount of food you ate.  But mostly happy.  However, if you are looking for something a little bit lighter to serve at your New Year's function, or you just want something that doesn't require hours of preparation, this might be a nice change of

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-81558662586128408102010-12-13T06:19:00.000-06:002010-12-13T06:19:00.089-06:00

This past weekend, I celebrated my 2#th birthday with some good friends of mine.  I decided to make these drop lace cookies as one of the desserts.  I found this recipe in my Real Simple magazine, and i thought it was so snowflake-like and lovely that I absolutely had to make it!  Ingredients (24 cookies): -1/2 stick butter -1/4 cup white sugar -1/4 cup light brown sugar -2 tbsp heavy cream -1/

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-34750884684750166652010-12-08T05:01:00.055-06:002010-12-08T05:01:00.268-06:00

About a year ago, I participated in a recipe exchange that got me tons of yummy recipes from random strangers.  One such recipe was a Cornbread Casserole, which a woman named Jill sent to me.  I decided to make it for a potluck last week, and, because I am who I am, I spiced it up a bit with green chilies.  I would have added jalapenos, but I didn't want it to be too spicy for the, er....weaker

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-16715572017985728492010-12-05T05:58:00.000-06:002010-12-05T05:58:00.339-06:00

What better way to kick off a renewal of SSUR than this sweet and salty combination that has become hugely popular in the last few years?  When you take something as rich and often blindingly sweet as caramel and then cut it with the shock of sea salt, you really have a killer combination.  I decided to celebrate this union in the form of a cupcake. The culprits.  Ingredients: -1 box

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-59003971545377607842010-12-03T14:56:00.000-06:002010-12-03T14:56:17.607-06:00

Dearest SSUR readers!  I've missed you more than you know!  Before we go on, I will say that the site will be up and running again this weekend, hooray!  So many people have been asking me what has become of this blog.  I was away as a visitor in Massachusetts, which was fabulous in every which way, except for the fact that I was renting a room in this woman's house, and I felt like it'd be

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-2792116787029686272010-08-18T06:12:00.000-05:002010-08-18T06:12:00.746-05:00

On Monday I posted a recipe for a healthy alternative to Eggplant Parmesan.  When I made it, I had a lot of leftovers, and instead of eating the eggplant with pasta again and again, I ended up eating it in a sandwich.  I secretly loved this sandwich even more than I loved the pasta dish.  Here's what I did.  I toasted up some whole wheat bread. Layered on a few slices of smoked turkey breast.

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-25160888563545966832010-08-16T06:37:00.004-05:002010-08-16T06:37:00.554-05:00

Eggplant parmesan is amazing, but it's not the healthiest meal in the world.  It's so drenched in cheese and butter that it takes a perfectly healthy vegetable and makes it a food quite high in fat.  Plus, it takes a while to make eggplant parmesan, and time is something I don't have a lot of these days.  So, I decided to make an alternative eggplant parmesan: it has the essential elements of

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-77508595250596923242010-08-13T06:01:00.000-05:002010-08-13T06:01:00.469-05:00

I know you've all been waiting for this :)  Kimbop is the ultimate Korean picnic/travel/packed lunch food.  It's often mistaken as sushi rolls, but Korean kimbop has no raw fish.  It's usually packed with yummy vegetables like carrots, spinach, and cucumber, proteins like bulgogi or imitation crab, and egg.  Everything rolled together in kim (=seaweed) and bop (=rice).  You don't need to be a

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-33844620155225106022010-08-11T06:11:00.011-05:002010-08-11T06:11:00.052-05:00

  And the winner of the slow cooker giveaway is.... Number 19 just happens to be... Congrats Sabeen!  I agree, Mac and Cheese is definitely a feel-good meal.  Especially with tons of pepper.  I even wrote a Sunday Story about this a long time ago. Sabeen, please email sunny@sunnysideuprecipes.com to claim your prize! Thanks to everyone who entered and made me wish I had a bad day so I can

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-73605443163128581842010-08-06T06:19:00.003-05:002010-08-06T06:19:00.515-05:00

Some of my favorite recipes are made in a slow cooker.  It's a relatively new cooking appliance for me, as I didn't grow up with one in our Korean kitchen.  However, as a busy grad student, I'm learning to take advantage of this wonderful piece of cookware more and more.  It's like having a trophy husband or man-servant cook for you all day long.  Without all the baggage.  That's why I decided

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-15999296393682828312010-08-04T06:14:00.000-05:002010-08-04T06:14:00.076-05:00

This past week has been a blur of craziness!  I just moved into my new place, which has plenty of beautiful windows in the kitchen.  I still have tons of unpacking left to do, but as long as I have my computer set up, my clothes hanging, and my coffee maker plugged in, I'm ready to roll. This recipe is one that I made as an effort to add more fish to my diet.  I really love fish, but I don't

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-26256741633350752822010-08-02T06:34:00.017-05:002010-08-02T06:34:00.718-05:00

A few weeks ago, my family went on a camping trip.  We've been going on these trips for almost 20 years.  It used to be that my mom and dad would make all the meals, but this time, my parents were like, "Well, you're some sort of food blogger, right?  You can make lunch." Sweet!  I decided to make some spicy burgers for my spice-lovin' family.  Ingredients: -1 lb ground beef -1/2 cup bread

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-55045519923909221542010-07-29T06:08:00.000-05:002010-07-29T06:08:00.283-05:00

My mom recently introduced me to these little tiny baby cucumbers that you can find in a pack at the grocery store.  They are young, tender, and deliciously sweet.  I used them to make a very simple, 3-minute salad to go with my dinner the other night.  Check it out! Ingredients: -2 baby cucumbers -1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar -2 tsp capers -1 tbsp roasted red peppers, chopped 1.  Cut baby

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-68467611667448084792010-07-26T06:12:00.001-05:002010-07-26T06:12:00.086-05:00

Hi all!  Sorry about the long hiatus from posting--that's what you expect from a grad student.  Okay.  But here's the ravioli recipe I've promised! During the ravioli party that I posted about last Sunday, we made three different types of ravioli.  Now, the fun thing about ravioli is that you can basically fill them with anything.  Course, there are things that go together better :)  Anyways,

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-47252291619104841362010-07-18T06:01:00.049-05:002010-07-18T06:01:00.486-05:00

There are few friends in the world who, when asked if they wanna hang out on Friday, will respond, "Oh yes!  Let's make ravioli!"  This is why I love having a friend like Dani.  We think alike in so many ways. We had been planning on having a ravioli night for months.  Dani has one of those pasta attachments for her Kitchen Aid, and I have a easy-to-use ravioli press that my mother-in-law-to-be

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-73687302645091513802010-07-15T05:54:00.003-05:002010-07-15T05:54:00.764-05:00

As you [may not] know, my friends and I enjoy taking trips every summer to go wine tasting along the western coast of Michigan.  At most of these wineries, they offer oyster crackers with the wine to cleanse your palate after each wine.  But some of the fancier wineries offer something a little more special.  My friends and I call these "crookies" because they are kind of a cross between a

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-31549289060994325252010-07-13T06:13:00.002-05:002010-07-13T10:17:32.487-05:00

By this point in the summer, you've probably attended quite a few cookouts, barbecues, and picnics with friends and family.  If you're looking for something to bring to those events, but you're tired of the same old pasta salad with italian dressing, pesto might be an easy way for you to mix it up a bit!  I love anything and everything that has to do with basil, my favorite herb in all the world.

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-16755144760135308622010-07-07T06:11:00.000-05:002010-07-07T06:11:00.057-05:00

For Fourth of July, we decided to make these scrumptious slow cooked pulled pork sandwiches.  I love that there are so few ingredients and so little prep time that goes into this delicious meal.  Ingredients (8-10 servings): -3-4 lbs pork shoulder -1 1/2 cups water -1 bottle BBQ sauce -1 large onion, sliced into rings 1.  Slice onion into rings (or half circles).  Place half the onions at the

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-86004682069758566172010-07-02T06:18:00.002-05:002010-07-02T20:35:33.538-05:00

I've become thoroughly obsessed with this snack combination as of late.  Rice cakes alone can be kinda boring and dry, yogurt alone can be missing that little bite you need from a snack.  But put them together and they are truly delicious. I'm not one of those people who is crazy about yogurt just by itself.  But I love when it's in combination with something crunchy, like granola, cereal, or

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-53853997017425120502010-06-30T06:25:00.024-05:002010-06-30T06:25:00.395-05:00

A week or so ago, I wrote about the fantastic Japanese-Korean meal I made with my friend.  One of the delicious Japanese dishes Eriko made was called ohitashi, which literally means 'to sit/soak in water'.  It's a yummy, light spinach dish that is quite easy to make.  You boil spinach, wring it out, cut it, and drizzle it with a sauce.  Simple!  Here are the step-by-step directions. Ingredients

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-22191579393815830142010-06-25T06:17:00.000-05:002010-06-25T06:17:00.702-05:00

Every summer for the past 3 years, my friends and I take a winery tour up the west coast of Michigan.  We drink delicious wines made from the grapes grown on the rolling, sandy dunes, protected and aided by the beautiful Lake Michigan.  Being on Lake Michigan is really one of my most favorite places in all the world. Anyway, one of the places we stay in along the way is Leland, which is a

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-63232263195490827742010-06-23T06:10:00.000-05:002010-06-23T06:10:00.585-05:00

Cookie-baking urges come in very strong waves for me.  Especially sugar cookies, which require careful decoration, thoughtful planning, and beautiful results.  I think I like the fact that, despite my horrible lack of plating skills, decorated sugar cookies always turn out so pretty.  I love this sugar cookie recipe, which has been a staple in my life.  I've used this recipe to make cookies for

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-79168194901034316342010-06-21T06:12:00.000-05:002010-06-21T06:12:00.240-05:00

Vinegar-soaked cucumber, or kyuuri no sunomono, is a Japanese dish I learned to make last week at my friend Eriko's house.  It's a simple and healthy vegetable dish that goes really well with Korean food, as I found :)  Here are the simple directions for this lovely dish! Ingredients: -3-4 small cucumbers, sliced thin -2 tbsp fish broth -1 1/2 tbsp vinegar -2 tbsp sugar -1 tsp salt -1 tsp soy

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-10330438730711631002010-06-20T06:19:00.056-05:002010-06-20T06:19:00.501-05:00

This past week, I had the opportunity to spend a week with an old friend of mine from undergrad.  Not only did we have a fun time talking about our then-lives as undergrad ling majors and our now-lives as Ph.D. students, we also had great conversations about food and cooking, which we have both grown to love.  On one of the evenings, we decided to make a Japanese-Korean fusion meal because 1)

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-80754738880100948832010-06-18T06:18:00.002-05:002010-06-18T06:18:00.811-05:00

I love recipes that introduce me to a new technique that I can later alter and customize.  This is one of those recipes.  See, I had a lot of egg roll wrappers left (but nothing egg-rolly to wrap with them) from those baked egg rolls I made last week.  I had exactly 12 left, and I decided to make these little cups out of egg roll wrappers.  Check it out. Ingredients: -12 egg roll wrappers -2

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-4341227238057146742010-06-14T06:13:00.000-05:002010-06-14T06:13:00.522-05:00

If you are looking for a way to add more fiber to your diet--which is great for weight loss--beans are some of the foods with the highest amount of fiber per serving.  Paired with a need for healthier options for side dishes during these summer months, I came up with this very easy bean salad that is packed with fiber and quite delicious as a cold side dish. Let's begin! Ingredients (8

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-5880381727848656632010-06-08T06:11:00.000-05:002010-06-08T06:11:00.354-05:00

Summer nights call for dinners that are flavorful and light.  Here's a filling dinner salad I made in about 10 minutes that was healthy and satisfying without being dense.  Gosh I love shrimp.  Okay, here we go! Ingredients (1 salad): -1/2 head of romaine lettuce -1/2 poblano pepper, diced -2 stalks celery, chopped -2 stalks green onion, chopped -1 cup shrimp, thawed (I used precooked) -2 tsp

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-89775211763722820862010-06-04T06:03:00.001-05:002010-06-04T06:03:00.411-05:00

Asian week continues.  Today, I'm gonna show you a *gasp* healthy alternative to egg rolls.  Instead of deep frying them, you can bake them in the oven!  Here's how I made these delicious appetizers with minimal effort.  I made three of these just to test out the recipe, but you could always modify the recipe to make a bunch more.    Ingredients (3 egg rolls): -3 egg roll wrappers -1/3 cup

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-55441320826524212462010-06-02T06:17:00.002-05:002010-06-02T06:17:00.397-05:00

Sesame seeds add subtle but amazing flavor to many dishes.  My mom uses it a lot in her food, so she buys raw sesame seeds in bulk, then toasts them herself.  And then she puts some in a container and sends them home with me.  I saw these black sesame seeds at the Asian market and decided to replenish my decreasing stock.  I bought the black ones because I think they taste better. To toast

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-30784645619310580652010-05-31T05:50:00.000-05:002010-05-31T05:50:00.798-05:00

  I had my first bubble tea back in freshman year of college.  At the time, bubble tea was just starting to become popular in the U.S.  Throughout college, bubble tea became a staple in my life.  Starchy balls in sweet tea.  What could be better?  Then, my roommate (who now happens to be my maid of honor) made bubble tea at home one day.  This blew my mind.  It's like seeing a famous celebrity

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-70953436874403089292010-05-28T06:21:00.004-05:002010-05-28T06:21:00.113-05:00

By popular demand, I decided to make a separate post on the making of fondant itself.  Since I learned this recipe from my friends Kata and Corrie as they were making their marvelous topsy-turvey cake, I don't have a recipe, per say.  I'll try to quantify it for you, but a lot of these will be based on description. Ingredients (covers one 9 inch three tiered cake plus all the decorations): -1

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-72838550649507094332010-05-26T06:07:00.000-05:002010-05-26T06:07:00.406-05:00

Once in a while, my mom buys these frozen, pre-cooked steamed mandoo (steamed buns filled with beef, veggies, and noodles) and makes one or two for each of us.  They are about 150 calories each, and they really serve as a yummy and filling snack. You can buy these at your nearest Asian market.  They usually come frozen like this. You might want to give it a quick rinse in water so it doesn't

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-12786045867782057892010-05-22T06:12:00.008-05:002010-05-22T06:12:00.717-05:00

So yesterday was our Korean engagement party!  It was also the first time that our parents met each other, so it was a big deal.  And, being who I am, I decided to make my own engagement cake for this occasion.  I wanted to make a 3-layered (not tiered) cake and just kinda keep it sleek and simple, but elegant.  My mom has a cake decorating book, and we picked a recipe from there, but the attempt

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-64648712919603195902010-05-18T23:55:00.000-05:002010-05-18T23:55:33.409-05:00

Hi food lovers!  I have been on a fabulous trip to Florida, which is why the new recipes have subsided for the past week.  I have some fun ideas for recipes that I'll be working on now that I'm back, but for the time being, here are some old favorites you should try!  The theme: Appetizers! Mini Calzones Delicious, mini calzones made from Grands, stuffed with spinach and ricotta.  A super

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-83623947487838412892010-05-14T06:09:00.046-05:002010-05-14T06:09:00.073-05:00

There's no place I love studying more at than a coffee shop.  The lighting, the soft music, the indistinct chatter, and the pretty way they display everything, from coffee beans, mugs, and especially the baked goods.  I rarely let myself have a baked good from a coffee shop because they're usually not that good for you, but I do admire how pretty their muffins are--way prettier than mine.  And

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-88958644737259546672010-05-10T06:14:00.000-05:002010-05-10T10:29:21.306-05:00

In my last post on Chocolate Crack Cookies, I mentioned that I had gotten the recipe from a recipe chain email that I had done last winter.  I'm not one of those chain email people (i get way too many emails as it is), but this was fun because it was fast, no nonsense, and I got some great ideas from people I don't even know. Here's the chain email.   To start one of your own, just copy the

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-8641867005589896472010-05-07T06:24:00.000-05:002010-05-07T06:24:00.217-05:00

I'd been looking forward to making this recipe for ages!  A while ago, I did a recipe chain email where I got a bunch of awesome recipes from friends, and my friend's sister, Coco, sent this to me :)  Chocolate cookies so addicting, they're like crack!  I made these for my students to snack on during their final exam this past week. Ingredients (makes 48 cookies): -3 cups flour -1 1/4 tsp

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-75647148034595287802010-05-05T06:22:00.000-05:002010-05-05T06:22:00.192-05:00

I love bolognese sauce so much.  Thick chunks of meat in a thick red sauce to top off pasta...what's not to love?  Except...it's usually extremely high in calories.  It's usually thickened with heavy cream, and has tons of fat that makes it the way it is. What's more, it takes several hours to simmer.  I'm rarely home for more than an hour at a time unless i'm sleeping, and I certainly can't

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-38778102087060450972010-05-03T06:16:00.002-05:002010-05-03T06:16:00.215-05:00

Sweet potatoes are wonderful because you can basically just pretend they are potatoes, and make whatever you would normally make with potatoes.  The benefit is that sweet potatoes are much healthier for you!  With a much lower starchy content, they are better for people watching their figures. I decided I would try making some chips with them in the broiler.  First, I washed the sweet potato,

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-5057601399263038332010-05-01T06:17:00.001-05:002010-05-01T06:17:00.632-05:00

There's an episode of Gilmore Girls where Lorelei is talking about these briny porkchops that Sookie made, and it sounds like the most delicious thing in the world.  I have no idea what briny porkchops are, and but I kinda came up with my own simple and budget-friendly way of making porkchops soaked in brine. To start, I had to think about what I want to make my brine out of.  Usually, when you

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-84007179619603325872010-04-26T06:29:00.072-05:002010-04-26T06:29:00.393-05:00

Our journey begins on a dark, stormy night. I had maybe about 20 minutes to make a meal that I can eat for dinner several nights this week before I have to go back to my desk and ponder the fine points of my dissertation hypothesis.  So I needed to keep things simple. Mushrooms.  Nothing is as simple as fungus.  Angel hair pasta and zucchini.  Two more ingredients that are also simple and

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-29622800251916930382010-04-25T20:56:00.000-05:002010-04-25T20:56:00.782-05:00

I have a good excuse for why I haven't posted since Wednesday.  It's not that it's the end of the semester and I have a stockpile of work to do, although that would be a good excuse. It's not that I have a prospectus defense coming up and I'm frantically writing, editing, and panicking, although that would be a good excuse. No.  The excuse is this.  On Thursday I made this amazing Chicken

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-49423467742556920952010-04-21T05:17:00.000-05:002010-04-21T05:17:00.137-05:00

Clarified butter is not something that most "typical" American recipes call for.  It's literally butter that has been stripped of its milkfat and water, and what is left of it is the pretty golden butterfat.  I actually had no idea what this was until I started attempting to cook Indian food.  The recipes call for clarified butter, so I decided I should make some to see how feasible it is to

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-34931403949707642962010-04-19T06:07:00.036-05:002010-04-19T06:07:00.218-05:00

When I lived in Ann Arbor, my then-boyfriend (now-fiance) and I would spend the summer going to outdoor movies projected on the wall of a parking structure on Fletcher, then heading to Bubble Island for bubble tea and popcorn chicken.  They have pretty fantastic popcorn chicken...stuff so hot that it kinda melted through the styrofoam takeout box they'd put it in. I wanted to make some popcorn

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-15037766763468874992010-04-15T06:18:00.000-05:002010-04-15T06:46:43.259-05:00

I've been experimenting with ways to marinade chicken with things I already have in my pantry (read: no time, no money) and I came up with this easy marinade that forms a sweet and spicy glaze on chicken that is just delightful.  Ingredients?  Just these. You have the sriracha for the heat.  Honey for the subtle sweetness.  Go bear, go. And olive oil to lock in the moisture and keep it

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-69539318180320733352010-04-12T06:39:00.000-05:002010-04-12T06:39:00.032-05:00

Last Thursday, I posted about a fantastic santoku knife that I had a chance to review, and I was able to offer one as a giveaway!  Here's the knife: Random.org helped me generate a random number between 1 and 28. Hm, who is number 9 on the comments? Congratulations, Sandy a la Mode!  You're the winner of a brand new Anolon Santoku knife!  Not that it would help you make huapia pie, but it

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-37271360370421889762010-04-08T05:00:00.006-05:002010-04-08T05:00:03.163-05:00

Since I'm a poor grad student, I have been chopping vegetables with dinky knives that are starting to get more blunt than sharp.  So when I had the opportunity to do a review + giveaway through csn stores, I chose this Santoku knife. A Santoku knife is an Asian-style knife that is great for chopping, dicing, and slicing.  Also works great with raw meat and fish.  Look at this beauty! It has a

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-61991110833074397722010-04-06T05:51:00.004-05:002010-04-13T09:29:14.875-05:00

*edit* my mom pointed out that i got the name of the fish wrong on the blog.  haha oops poops.  the post has been modified with the correction. One of the things I love about Korean cuisine is that it is abundant in seafood.  My mom made this simple dish with a halved goh deng uh that she had bought at the Korean market. She first sprinkled it with salt and pepper and a little olive oil.  Then

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-88355909017264148412010-04-03T06:28:00.003-05:002010-04-03T06:28:00.606-05:00

Do you remember that commercial for Berry Berry Kix back in the 90s, and there was a kid at the end of the commercial who takes a bite of cereal, smiles at the camera shyly, and says, "Berry Berry Good"?  Gotta love the 90s. I came up with this recipe by playing around with previous muffin recipes that turned out well.  I like this recipe because it calls for ingredients I usually have. I also

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-42048988025234074762010-03-31T06:17:00.012-05:002010-03-31T06:17:00.199-05:00

A classic Korean beverage: grape juice with big peeled grapes in them!  Here it is poured out into a glass.  It's an experience like no other when you're drinking a white grape juice and you get these juicy sweet pods of grapes every few sips.  I'm not normally a juice drinker, but this is pretty awesome stuff.  Try it out...you get can individual cans at Korean grocery stores.  I usually

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-36661911716756386002010-03-29T06:19:00.004-05:002010-03-29T06:19:00.227-05:00

I have been meaning to make shepherd's pie for ages now, and finally got the chance to make it for a baby shower potluck last weekend.  I was excited to try my hand at this easy casserole because it's what I always order when I go to the Irish pub here on campus.  It's also one of those comfort foods that is perfect for evenings when you're just kickin' back, relaxing, watching TV on its corner

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-19643281345821987452010-03-28T06:03:00.000-05:002010-03-28T06:03:00.874-05:00

That awesome weekend that i visited my friends in Chicago and ate at a Mexican taqueria, we also got a chance to visit one of the many local Mexican bakeries in the Roger's Park area.  When you walk in, you get a tray and some tongs, and you fill your tray with whatever pastry you want, similarly to the way I've seen it done in Korean and Hong Kong bakeries.  Unfortunately for these, only some

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-87570733323018811882010-03-26T06:32:00.000-05:002010-03-26T06:32:00.732-05:00

I thought I should maybe do a seafood post today :)  This is kind of a variation on a previous post about Pa Jun (or Korean scallion cakes) that is usually an appetizer, snack, or banchan.  Pa Jun is basically a pan-fried savory cake that is made of tons of green onions and a flour batter.  It looks like this: But what tastes even better is when you incorporate some delicious seafood into it. 

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-50094833275002051802010-03-24T06:11:00.000-05:002010-03-24T06:11:00.576-05:00

A simple cookie.  Simple ingredients.  Simple procedure.  So why are they so ridiculously addicting?  Is it the cinnamon sugar coating?  Or the fact that as soon as your teeth break through the crisp exterior, you get to enjoy an incredibly light, soft, and airy cookie on the inside.  Let's not waste our time and get to the good part.  :) Ingredients: (2 dozen cookies) -1 stick butter -3/4 cup

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-19840189749002007312010-03-22T06:12:00.001-05:002010-03-22T06:12:00.356-05:00

Here's another Korean banchan that I think you'll enjoy.  It's simple to make, and it's one of those dishes that adds so much flavor to the tofu that your brain forgets all the negative stereotypes that tofu gets from the haters.  Don't be a hater. This simple dish basically consists of two things: pan-fried tofu and a seasoned soy sauce.  You put them together and that's the whole banchan. 

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-6551942602331756272010-03-17T06:13:00.034-05:002010-03-17T06:13:00.677-05:00

Some facts: 1.  Irish has a question particle (in the same way that Korean does) that actually marks a declarative sentence as a question when used. 2.  When i was an undergrad, i bought a "Irish I'm Kiss Me" shirt for St. Patty's Day for irony's sake, and more than one person came up to me and asked, "Oh my gosh, are you part Irish?" 3.  Lucky Charms is the scariest cereal on the planet. And

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-83086956935817498882010-03-16T06:20:00.000-05:002010-03-16T06:20:00.355-05:00

My mom and I went to the Korean grocery store a few days ago, and she always lets me grab whatever snack I want.  I got myself a box of these little pastry things.  They are called "French Pie", or, since Korean does not have [f] or diphthongs, it's written as hoo-ren-chi-pa-i.  Love it. In the box, there are about 15 individually wrapped dealies like this.  Let me show you what the inside

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-44077908549901813342010-03-15T06:21:00.036-05:002010-03-15T06:21:00.420-05:00

This recipe is one that my mom makes, though it's not Korean at all.  I'll get to the Korean recipes soon.  Patience, Iago, patience. This simple broccoli soup is great for rainy days (we've been having quite a lot of those lately) and as a pairing to a grilled sandwich.  Now, you'll see the recipe down below written out for 4 servings, but my mom was making this for 10 servings, so it'll look

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-33589395502898353512010-03-12T06:36:00.003-06:002010-03-12T20:32:19.778-06:00

When i was in Chicago a few weeks ago, my friends and I decided to have a late lunch at a Mexican taqueria.  Yup.  Three Americans and a Korean chick awkwardly walked into the supermercado on a late Saturday afternoon in hopes of getting some good, authentic Mexican grub.  We must have looked pretty silly, but we were so hungry, we didn't care. I had eaten at a bunch of taquerias when I was in

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-46155783010536700482010-03-10T06:12:00.001-06:002010-03-10T06:12:00.132-06:00

Sometimes I go all out and bake cupcakes completely from scratch.  Like these chai tea cupcakes from last week.  Other times, I have to bake in a frenzy because I have very limited time, but people are expecting cupcakes the next day.  Okay.  Here are some strategies I use to prettify out-of-the-box cupcakes and out-of-the-tub frosting. First things first.  Bake the cupcakes as instructed on

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-70483763183448181082010-03-08T06:07:00.000-06:002010-03-08T06:07:00.480-06:00

Uh oh, we have a leek. {snicker} I bought my first leek last week...er...i like to seek new veggies...cuz i'm a geek.  And i'm out. Okay, so this is not a vegetable I grew up with.  I didn't really even know what they were until a few years ago, but even so, I tend to go for veggies I'm familiar with.  But i thought i'd go out on a limb and grab a bunch.  The first thing I did was to cut

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-41861081078810561822010-03-05T06:14:00.027-06:002010-03-05T13:36:57.020-06:00

Chai Tea is a spiced tea from India that has become super popular in coffee shops.  I like chai lattes because they remind me of the pumpkin spice latte (which owns my life) when it is not otherwise available. I was intrigued by this recipe in my cupcake book because i like when people come up with cupcakes that taste like other things, or have unusual ingredients, like these rum cupcakes I

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-45038324583941877422010-03-03T06:25:00.002-06:002010-03-03T06:25:00.138-06:00

I got one of these sugar canes at Whole Foods when i was in Chicago.  I got it because I remember back in 3rd or 4th grade, we were reading a story about some girl on a sugar cane plantation (?), and to get us into the story more, my teacher brought a big sugar cane to class.  She split it open and gave us a stick to chew on, and I remember enjoying it immensely, mostly cuz i like foods that

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-86608841021322091302010-03-01T06:02:00.000-06:002010-03-01T06:02:00.888-06:00

My friend Beril messaged me a few weeks ago asking about a recipe for a Jelly Roll cake.  I was thrilled because I could use Stella to test out her egg white whipping skills. I used to make this cake with my mom when I was like 13 or something, but I couldn't remember the recipe off the top of my head, so I searched around and found one that was as similar to my memories as I could get it. 

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-21540334486483648582010-02-28T06:29:00.106-06:002010-02-28T12:29:22.190-06:00

When i was in Chicago visiting my friends Stu and Ronnie last weekend, they took us to this giant Whole Foods.  I mean, it had its own parking structure, first of all.  This is a shot from inside the structure. I did some minor googling, and apparently this is the third largest Whole Foods EVER.  It was huge.  I think we spent a good hour and a half there, most of the time just gawking at the

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-14788505379048538582010-02-26T06:03:00.072-06:002010-02-26T06:03:00.321-06:00

  A few weeks ago, my friend Alison gave me a bag of Amish Friendship Bread batter.  It came with some instructions on how to take care of it every day.  I have never had a pet quite like this one.  Usually, i don't get to eat it after i grow it. You give the thing a nice massage every day (mush it well) so that the heat of your hands and the movement (or agitation, as we learned in high

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-89743234926177280522010-02-24T06:54:00.000-06:002010-02-24T06:54:00.555-06:00

Before I go into this recipe, I would like to introduce to you the newest addition to my family.  She is everything I ever dreamed about. A Kitchen Aid Professional 600 in Nickel Pearl.  Oh my heavens. The story is that my fiance and I have some very generous people in our lives.  You see, we haven't started making our wedding registry yet, but we knew that the first thing we wanted to put

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-74424707885104321542010-02-22T06:36:00.001-06:002010-02-22T06:36:00.514-06:00

Last week, I was given a giant bag of pepperoni--like, we're talking a gallon bag of them--and asked to do something with it for the potluck at my church.  I thought transporting a million pizzas would take too much work, so i decided on making pepperoni bread instead. Never having done it before and not bothering to look up a recipe, i just decided to play the Wing-It game.  I love the Wing-It

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-75517382447858746262010-02-19T06:03:00.000-06:002010-02-19T06:03:00.204-06:00

Tired of the same old marinade for chicken?  Some italian dressing perhaps?  Or some sort of poultry rub?  BOOOOORING. You can actually make a fantastic marinade for chicken that gives it a little extra kick.  Okay, so take some chicken tenders and put them in a container. Here's Part 1: Spicy Brown Mustard.  My bottle has seen better days.  But whatever. Drizzle a generous amount over the

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-37480598166237772402010-02-17T06:12:00.010-06:002010-02-17T06:12:00.488-06:00

A good friend of mine, Emily, sent me a link to this recipe, which shows how you can use the bum ends of your vegetables to make your own vegetable stock.  Since I love thriftiness, and I do tend to go through a lot of stock, I thought I would try this out alongside the big batch of Broccoli Walnut Tossed Spaghetti I made the other day.  I collected the tough stalks of broccoli... The outer

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-59491046149612180762010-02-15T06:32:00.054-06:002010-02-15T06:32:00.146-06:00

  This has been an exceptionally busy semester, and I find it somewhat challenging (er, more challenging than usual) to find time for cooking.  I also had no time in the last week to go grocery shopping, so these ingredients were all I had to work with to make my dinner for the next 4 days.  Hm. Not a problem!  I found a way to make a great dish that is both easy (really) and fast (i made all

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-34093837936797606112010-02-14T06:19:00.000-06:002010-02-14T06:19:00.258-06:00

My first Valentine's day with my fiance (back when he was just a boyfriend--haha) was the cutest thing ever.  He made a lovely little scavenger hunt in this apartment, at the end of which I found him waiting for me with a bouquet of flowers :)  Oh, cute little us.  Even sweeter is that this was the first time he cooked dinner for me.  In his dinky hole-in-the-wall kitchen, he made steak, baked

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-48246210625567889872010-02-12T22:50:00.000-06:002010-02-12T22:50:59.893-06:00

Who on earth would buy heart-shaped muffin pans that can only really be used once a year?  Who would do such a thing? *blush*  To be fair, i could use these for other occasions, like maybe a birthday or anniversary.  How could I resist these cute little silicone pans? Okay, so people have been noting that I have not been baking lately.  That is 100% true.  It's this terrible thing called

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-77704652975787404112010-02-10T06:28:00.001-06:002010-02-10T06:28:00.298-06:00

Here is a simple side you can easily make with very few ingredients and prep time.  I made these over the weekend to go with the big steaks we were having.   Ingredients (4 side servings): -4 medium potatoes -1 tbsp salt -1 tbsp pepper -2 tsp paprika -1 tbsp garlic powder -3 tbsp olive oil 1.  Preheat oven to 425F. Scrub the potatoes. 2.  Cut into slabs, then cut them into small cubes.

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-7399821997861458222010-02-08T06:01:00.000-06:002010-02-08T06:01:00.388-06:00

Ja Jang Myun is the Korean adaptation of the Chinese dish that sounds quite similiar, called zha(2) jiang(4) mian(4) in Mandarin Chinese.  It's a noodle dish that is covered with a thick black sauce made of soy beans.  (I've only had the Chinese kind once, and although it was conceptually similar, the flavor was quite a bit different.  Delicious, but different.)  This dish is a staple in Korea

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-41561473326953800622010-02-06T06:21:00.000-06:002010-02-06T06:21:00.828-06:00

I don't really buy crackers very often, but I decided to indulge and get myself these toasted wheat thins to liven up my sack lunches.  I loved them.  They are just salty enough that you don't feel like you need to eat them with anything, but not heavy or greasy in any way. And of course, they're multigrain, which i think adds a nice texture to them. I would pack a little snack of these (i

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-45070545649539911172010-02-05T06:22:00.001-06:002010-02-05T06:22:00.163-06:00

During our pizza experiment last weekend, one of the things we really wanted to do was to be completely self-sufficient at last, i.e. make sauce from scratch.  All the previous times, we have just bought pizza sauce from the store, but we wanted to make our own this time.  So, because we are both scientists at heart, we decided to turn it into an experiment. We divided a small can of tomato

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-70494881395593028212010-02-03T06:23:00.002-06:002010-02-03T06:23:00.113-06:00

Drew and I have been working to achieve the perfect pizza crust for many years.  At first, we were thankful we could even make a decent pizza.  And really, the pizza crust recipe we've been using for the past 5 years or so has been really great.  Here is an attempt from a few years ago. It's okay, but not great.  The crust is uneven, still kinda mushy in the middle.  Drew and I felt that we

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-52916963718001540202010-02-01T06:16:00.008-06:002010-02-01T06:16:00.029-06:00

Over the weekend, I attended a fun little potluck with some friends of mine, and the theme of the night was Healthy Foods.  There was a lovely collection of fruits, veggies, vegetarian dishes, salads, and whole grain things.  I decided to bring these turkey meatballs because I'm always trying to prove that, in moderation and if done smartly, meat dishes can be healthy too.  Ingredients: -1 lb

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-56521640202174896322010-01-29T06:51:00.027-06:002010-01-29T06:51:00.057-06:00

Kept you on the edge of your seat, didn't I?  Showing you a mole sauce recipe and holding out on your for TWO WHOLE DAYS for the rest of the recipe.  Muahahaha! Muahahaha! Fun fact: One of the things I would like to do before I die is do the voice over for a Disney villain. Getting back to chicken mole (pronounced moe-lay).  This is a recipe I enjoyed making because after having already

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-58863403114981920552010-01-27T06:07:00.043-06:002010-01-27T06:07:00.249-06:00

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a mole! Wait.... Anyways. I found a neat and easy recipe in one of my cookbooks on how to make my own mole (moe-lay) sauce.  Mole is a Mexican sauce that is often served with enchiladas or chicken.  Not to be confused with mojo sauce.  I like being able to make sauces like this on my own because then I can control what goes in it (um,

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-54109930215077659012010-01-25T06:46:00.031-06:002010-01-25T06:46:00.681-06:00

This is a recipe that was based on a dish that Drew had eaten over at our friend Ronnie's place.  Apparently, it was a type of breaded and baked chicken that had delicious sun-dried tomatoes on them.  Mmm!  I'm sold.  We didn't have a written-down recipe, but we kinda guestimated the ingredients, and it came out wonderfully! Ingredients (4 servings): -4 chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs total) -1

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-81558528937854459382010-01-22T06:47:00.000-06:002010-01-22T06:47:00.049-06:00

My mom made this for me for breakfast (yes, that's what i requested...i like eating oddities for breakfast) on the morning before I drove back to school at the end of break.  Jjol Myun is a type of Korean rice noodle that is served cold with a spicy sauce.  The fabulous part about Jjol Myun is that the noodles are chewy or bouncy, like the way bubbles in bubble tea have a little chew to them in

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-73840144174832437222010-01-20T06:45:00.058-06:002010-01-20T06:45:00.586-06:00

Are you tofu-phobic?  Are you tofu-phobic without ever having tried it?  Tofu is often considered one of those crazy foods that only ridiculous health nuts and vegans eat.  Um, and the entire freaking continent of Asia.  Well, almost.  But you get the idea.  It's not a bizarre food, it's not incredibly complex or unpalatable, and it's one of those things that takes on the flavor of whatever

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-49265393605888971852010-01-18T06:24:00.000-06:002010-01-18T06:24:00.080-06:00

This is how sushi is done in my family.  There's nothing dainty or aesthetic about it.  It's all about maximum efficiency and self-service. First, my mom will buy sushi-grade fish and clean, slice, and plate it on a pretty platter.  At each place setting, we get a bowl of sushi rice (short grain rice, a little sugar, salt, and white vinegar). We also each get a nice hot bowl of odeng gook

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-86362453316231210132010-01-14T22:30:00.000-06:002010-01-14T22:30:33.955-06:00

As you have heard, the small, poverty-stricken nation of Haiti suffered a massive earthquake on Tuesday.  I think it's really easy for those of us here with cushy lives to say, "oh, that's a shame!" then forget about it the next minute.  It's easy for it to feel too far away to be real.  It's easy for us to believe there's nothing we can really do that would be helpful.  And by "us", i mean "me".

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-25557795860410477132010-01-13T06:10:00.001-06:002010-01-19T09:50:18.728-06:00

  This is one of my favorite recipes of all time.  As an avid coffee drinker (guilty!), i've tasted biscotti at various cafes, and i still think this recipe beats them all.  Plus, I die a little inside everytime I pay $2 for a little cookie stick at a fancy coffee shop. This is a very easy recipe that I've been making for years, and I wanted to share the step-by-step procedure with you so you

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3710590.post-67864832939380827492010-01-11T06:34:00.002-06:002010-01-11T06:34:00.206-06:00

Check out this fun little gizmo I got for my birthday. It's a ravioli maker that Drew's mom sent me!  It comes with this frame... And a tray that presses the holes into the dough. I have been waiting for an opportunity to make a giant batch of ravioli with this, and when I was snowbound last week, I decided to take advantage of the extra time at home by making these fun ravs. I had made

Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10809843772383621131noreply@blogger.com3