Making Laksa

February 18, 2011

Laksa

A few years ago when my husband and I had a long layover in Singapore, one of the first things we did was go in search of food. We ended up in a small restaurant in the airport that had a wide variety of noodles and soups. I forget what I had, but my husband ordered the laksa, and I was hooked. A fiery bowl of coconut milk-based broth with noodles and seafood, what’s not to like?

A few months after returning home, I was flipping through old articles in a Martha Stewart magazine, and I came upon a recipe for Malaysian Prawn Laksa. Laksa is one of those things that everyone does differently, and I’m pretty sure this isn’t the most authentic recipe, but it’s easy to make, easy to procure the ingredients at your local supermarket, and best of all it tastes great! (more…)

Comments Off on Making Laksa

New Year’s Resolutions

January 6, 2011

Broiled Tofu and Soba Noodles

It’s that time of year when everyone vows to better themselves. Some want to tighten their budgets and keep an eye on the finances (and for the frugal, check out what to do with your vegetable scraps to make them go the extra mile). Some want to spend more time with friends and family (and what better way than over a hotpot full of sukiyaki?). But most make some sort of resolution about slimming down, eating healthier, and exercising.

So for that last group, I post this recipe from Martha Stewart. It’s one of my favorite weeknight meals, and it’s the meal that changed my mind about tofu, convincing me to try it in the first place, and surprisingly liking it. This meal is vegetarian – vegan even! Soba noodles are one of my favorites, so I’ll take any excuse to gobble them up. This recipe is light, but filling, and nice and warm on a chilly night. (more…)

Comments Off on New Year’s Resolutions

Thanksgiving Menu Planning: Riesling-Brined Turkey

November 17, 2010

Thanksgiving 2007

As I sit down to start planning Thanksgiving, I start to think about Thanksgivings past, and all of the yummy recipes I’ve discovered. Typically, I pick one recipe I really want to make (whether it’s from the past, or something I’ve just seen) and then I begin to plan the menu around that.

This year, I’m going to pick a recipe I did in 2007 to center on – a riesling-brined turkey from Martha Stewart Living. It was one of the best turkeys I have ever had (deep-fried excluded here, of course). (more…)

Comments Off on Thanksgiving Menu Planning: Riesling-Brined Turkey

Kicking off Thanksgiving

November 5, 2010

Devoured Turkey

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Somewhere around October 1st I start getting the urge to plan, to start thinking about what the perfect meal will be. Come November 1st, it’s high time to start pulling out all of my previous menus, turkey recipes saved, Martha Stewarts from Novembers and Decembers past. About a week or so before I’ll finalize the menu, send it around (in the fancyfont), solicit feedback. Then my master shopping list is printed out – every ingredient for every recipe listed, then compiled, ticked off against what I already have, and split out into various trips to the store (weekend before, Wednesday before).

With all of this planning and anticipation, you’d think I’d be uptight about the big day. That I might send out a letter similar to this nut, stipulating that everything must be perfect! Actually, it’s not about that at all. Enter the above turkey… (more…)

Comments Off on Kicking off Thanksgiving

German Sausages with Braised Cabbage & Apples

September 29, 2010

Sausages, Apples, and Cabbage

When September rolls around, I get all excited. There’s football, the weather stays warm, but we get a few nice, cool days that foreshadow the fall weather to come, and Oktoberfest begins, which gives me the perfect excuse to whip out this recipe and play some traditional German music.

I stumbled upon this recipe in a Martha Stewart Living a few years back. It was in an article featuring apples, and at the time, I wasn’t the biggest fan of cabbage. Actually, you could say I hated it and didn’t know why anyone would ruin a good sausage that way. Then I saw a picture of this dish; knockwurst tucked neatly into a dutch oven of apples (and cabbage), braised with apple cider and apple cider vinegar. I decided to overcome my issues with cabbage and give it a try. (more…)

2