Chocolate Almond Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I've decided to not let my broken camera deter me from posting. I hereby happily embrace MS PAINT! (yes, im a pc and proud of it!)

Wheatberry & Shitake Salad

It's taken me 25 years to discover that chinese mushrooms (冬菇) and shitake mushrooms are the same thing. It's just that I soak dried shrooms to reconstitute them, instead of buying them fresh from the store.

Barley & Lentil Soup

There's not much you can do with smoked hog necks... 'cept make some zuppa with whatever vegetables you have after a week.

Kalbi, part deux (Korean short ribs)

This is for you, SS. Made the marinade last night for this from memory and though it was good, it wasn't as good as when I followed this recipe verbatim. Subbed 1/4 c beer for the asian pear. If you make the short rib slices thin, it cooks quicker (2 min tops).

Sad that Vicki's camera is broken. =(

Anise-Almond Biscotti

Why, hello there. It's been a while, yes? Onwards. Baked some biscotti as positive reinforcement for taking my neurology exam today.

sauteed fennel & blood orange

New adventure: fennel!

Taro & Spinach Curry

Is it just me or is all of my food orange in some way?

Black-Eyed Peas & Green Peppers

I've recently taken a liking to black-eyed peas, in my search for a varied protein source outside red meat & fish.

Mama Doiron's Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

I regret ever having doubts about the fabled whoopie pie, introduced to me by RD, a lifelong native of Maine. This photo/food article convinced me I had to make an attempt, and I begged RD to ask his mother for the recipe. Thank you so much, Mrs. Doiron!!!

I love carbs and brussel sprouts

In the words of a sage associate, "How could the American socio-cultural context and the media that perpetuates it be so misinformed when it comes to brussels sprouts?"

Catalan Spinach

Pinenuts + raisins + garlic + spinach = Catalan, according to Bon Appetit c. 1992. Who knew? And yes, I skipped the raisins. Call me an impurist.

Mussels in White Wine Sauce

Since break started last week, I've been adding white wine to a lot of things. Like apple pie. And soup. And chicken marinades. So I set out to test out the cliche: mussels in white wine sauce.

Banana Nut Bread Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

There is just something about cupcakes. I find them more appealing than a slice of one of it's bigger brethren. I think it's because my gluttinous subconscious is gleeful in the fact that I am devouring an entire cake (even if it is in mini form), which is much more satisfying than knowing that you're only getting a measly slice of something bigger.

vicki's "looks like puke but tastes great, i swear to god, no really it does" lasagna with homemade tomato sauce

ok, i completely failed to take a picture of just the tomato sauce, and was way too hungry to take a good looking pic of the lasagna because even the steam coming off the thing was making me salivate, and i had spent about 5 hours making and putting together the dang thing! so excuse the ugly picture. i dont even think its in focus because my hand was probably already moving to hurry up and cut a square to stuff in my mouth before the shutter closed completely. ha.

Gingerbread Buffalos

Followed a recipe from Gourmet, Dec 2002. 'Tis the season...

No Knead Dough

V is a genius. Replicated the bread method below with FANTASTIC results. In 2006, Jim Lahey of Sullivan St Bakery in NYC (NOT to be confused with Trailer Park Boys star, as my dear lab partner LK guessed), offered this recipe to NYTimes food writer Mark Bittman on how to make bread without kneading, excessive time, or getting your hands dirty. The trick is waiting 14-20 hours for the yeast to replicate & do its job. Easiest & tastiest loaf I've ever made. Goodbye, inedible & awful crusts.

Rosemary Potato Cakes with Lemon Garlic Aioli

I had wanted to make a hollandaise for this, but since it seemed against kashrut, I made something else up. Which is silly, since I'm not Jewish, and the potato pancake is not strictly Jewish, but I'm funny like that, being the high holidays and all. It must be the Long Island in our family.

La Bouillabaisse! (sort of)

(Before adding broth - see below for the finished product!)

In honor of National Bouillabaisse Day, and the last (real) exam I finished this year, I made a fish stew - not quite bouillabaisse (which has a 1001 specifications for it to be called the real deal), and not quite cioppino (the Italian rendering of the stew with tomato).

Butternut Squash & Black-eyed Pea Soup

Followed this recipe with the following mods: Used a ginger/lemon/chicken broth base, made out of last night's chicken bones, instead of whatever was written. Green onions for garnish. And a tsp of bacon fat instead of olive oil. Prep time: 10 min, mostly peeling/cutting squash up.

Beer Chicken

Here's something to do with the leftover beer that I no longer have the chugging willpower for: make it into a marinade.