Food Archives - Page 27 of 57

Yeh! A Delicious Chocolate Marzipan Scone Loaf

By threejamigos | April 24, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

I recently added the cookbook Molly on the Range to the 3Jamigos shop. I couldn’t resist, the Kindle edition is going for a buck ninety-nine. That’s just ridiculous, you can’t even get a cup of joe for that. Molly on the Range has been out a couple of years and every now and then it would dance across my feed. I’d think, cute book from that blogger, My Name is Yeh, and keep going. Fast forward a couple of years, and well whaddya know, her book took off and she has a television show, Girl Meets Farm. Overachiever, just kidding…but it piqued my interest so I got a copy. I started reading… Julliard trained percussionist, city girl who moved from Chicago to the Big Apple to a farm in North Dakota. Huh?

Well, the book is delightful. Her writing is warm, friendly, and spunky. Her photos make me hungry and the drawn illustrations are a really nice touch. I love cookbooks that tell a story. Just like A Common Table, the recipes are the icing on the cake and the cake is the delicious stories of family, friends, and discovery.

Her riff on a Midwest tradition the “hot dish”, a casserole with wild rice or some sort of starch, canned cream soup, and frozen veggies Come on now, who didn’t grow up with a casserole that started with Cream of Mushroom or Chicken Soup, hmm, hmm, good. Her version is a made from scratch, a chicken pot pie filling topped with loads of tater tots. SOUNDS GOOD TO ME. As much as I love pie crust, I do have a soft spot for tots.

Plus, she had me laughing with “You cover the bitch with Tater Tots”. Cute with attitude, I like that.

But before trying the classic hot dish, another one of her recipes beckoned my baker side, Dark Chocolate Marzipan Scone Loaf. Whaat? Scone loaf? Yep, scone dough baked in a loaf pan. The texture is much like a scone, buttery, crumbly, not too sweet, PERFECT with coffee or tea. The kicker? Little chunks of marzipan provide a burst of sweet almond flavor in each bite tempered by the bitterness of dark chocolate. Like a rumble in your mouth. Soooo good.

The dough is a snap to put together. Dry ingredients go into your food processor, pulse cold chunks of butter into the flour mixture. Pour butter-flour mixture into a bowl with marzipan and chocolate chunks. Stir in eggs, cream, and extracts just until combined. Don’t overmix and keep ingredients cold (just like biscuits and scones). Scoop the dough into a loaf pan, gently shaping it so the dough is even. Sprinkle the top with sugar and bake. Before you know it you’ll be sitting down enjoying a delicious slice of chocolatey-almondy scone bread. Yum!

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Dark chocolate Marzipan Scone Loaf

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Dark chocolate, marzipan, quick bread, scone loaf

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 5

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

7 or 8 ounces marzipan chopped into ½-inch pieces
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
½ cup dark chocolate chips
2 cups flour plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar plus 1 teaspoon
¾ cup cold unsalted butter cut into ½-inch cubes
2 large eggs
½ cup buttermilk or heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
Jam for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, allowing 1-inch wings to hang over the edges on the long sides.
In a large bowl, toss together the marzipan and powdered sugar to coat. Add the chocolate and set aside.
In a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar and pulse to combine.
Add the butter cubes and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. Add this to the bowl with the marzipan.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk or cream, and extracts and add to the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to stir just until combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and spread it out evenly.
Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar and bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Begin checking for doneness at 40 minutes.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove to the rack to cool completely.
Slice with a serrated knife and serve with jam.

Bacon Up Some Candied Bacon Bites

By threejamigos | April 19, 2019 | Comments 1 comment

Looking for something sweet and salty to round out a cheese board for a weekday meeting, I thought of the Bloody Mary I had at a happy hour in Minneapolis with Jamie. I don’t remember much about the Bloody Mary but the CANDIED BACON swizzle stick that served as a stirrer and edible garnish was delicious.

Candied bacon would be perfect for my cheese board but in bite-size pieces to go along with the cheese and crackers. In its simplest form, coat thick cut bacon pieces with brown sugar and bake, but no one leaves well enough alone. For this batch, I used brown sugar and chili powder. Next time I might use cayenne for spice, or smoked paprika for smokiness, chili pepper or black pepper…really whatever you like. Another riff, combine Siracha Sauce and brown sugar, coat the bacon with the sauce and bake as directed.

Note: Line the pan with foil before placing the metal rack on the pan for the bacon. You only need to spread the brown sugar and spices on one side.

20 minutes later-ta-da, candied bacon for breakfast, drinks, happy hour munchies, salads…anything and everything is better with bacon.

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Candied Bacon

Bacon Candy!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword Candied bacon

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Ingredients

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1-11/2 teaspoon chili powder or 1 teaspoon black pepper, or smoked paprika, or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
20 slices of thick-cut bacon 1 pound

Instructions

Step Preheat the oven to 400°. Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place a wire rack over the foil.
In a small bowl, whisk the brown sugar with the chili powder.
Cut bacon into approximately 2-inch pieces. Arrange the bacon pieces on the rack and coat the tops with the chili sugar.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until caramelized and almost crisp.
Allow bacon to cool completely on rack; remove from rack and serve. If bacon is made early, leave at room temperature before serving.

Notes

A spicy twist, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup Siracha Sauce. Coat the bacon and bake as directed.

Two Pho-One Deal (Pho Ga Noodle Soup & Chicken Noodle Salad)

By threejamigos | April 15, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

Last week I posted a teaser on Instagram and FB of a really quick version of Pho Ga, Vietnamese chicken rice noodle soup. “In less than an hour, you will be sitting down to a steaming hot, delicious bowl of noodles. Recipe post tonight!”

Sorry, stuff happens and I am a procrastinator by nature. Tonight is NOW, finally (my humble opinion, worth the wait).

I found the recipe for the quick and easy Pho in the Los Angeles Times. I LOVE that paper. When I lived in LA I religiously read the Wednesday Food Section (sometimes the front page but never the sports page-my dislike for the Dodgers never waned). Some of my favorite recipes and stalwarts in my repertoire are from the LA Times. I’m adding not only this Pho Ga Soup but a little gem that was tagged onto the end, a delicious chicken noodle salad, Phở Gà Trộn, made from the same ingredients, soooo good. I almost like it more than the Pho Ga. You can find the recipe and notes for Pho Ga Tron HERE. Both recipes are from Andrea Nguyen, Asian cookbook author extraordinaire.

Back to the Pho Ga. Aside from going out to your favorite hole in the wall for pho, making pho at home is a weekend project. Making it after a long commute, on a weekday, ridiculous! But a couple of shortcuts and whaddya know…nothing better than a delicious bowl of noodles after a horrendous commute.

Shhhh…The secret is to start with pre-made broth. If you have homemade-grrrrreat, if not, low sodium canned or boxed broth works well. Toasted coriander seeds, green onions, and ginger are added to the broth along with chicken, cilantro stems and salt. While the broth simmers for about 20 minutes, prep your noodles and garnishes. Boom, you have just doctored stock into a perfectly respectable, delicious, chicken soup for pho. For garnishes, I usually have cilantro, mint, green onions or Thai basil and limes on the table. Don’t forget to put out the Siracha and Hoisin Sauce!

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Quick Chicken Pho (phở gà nhanh)

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Asian

Keyword Pho Ga

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Ingredients

3⁄4 inch piece ginger
2 medium-large green onions
1 bunch cilantro sprigs
1 1⁄2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 whole clove
3 1⁄2 to 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
2 6- to 8-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh reserve one for noodle salad
1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
5 ounces dried narrow flat rice noodles such as banh pho, rice stick or pad Thai noodles
2 to 3 teaspoons fish sauce
1⁄2 teaspoon organic sugar or 1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
Pepper optional
1/4 thinly sliced red onion optional for broth
2-3 dried shiitake mushrooms optional for broth

Garnishes

sliced green onions
chopped cilantro
Thai basil leaves leave on stem
fresh mint leave on stem
bean sprouts
lime wedges

Instructions

Peel then slice the ginger into 4 or 5 coins. Smack with the flat side of a knife or meat mallet and set aside. Thinly slice the green parts of the green onion to yield 2 to 3 tablespoons, and set aside to use as a garnish. Cut the leftover sections into 2- to 3-inch lengths, bruise, then add to the ginger.
Coarsely chop the leafy tops of the cilantro to yield 2 tablespoons; set aside to use as a garnish. Set the remaining cilantro sprigs aside.
In a 3- to 4-quart pot, toast the coriander seeds and clove over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the ginger and bruised green onion sections. Stir until aromatic, about 30 seconds.
Remove the pot from heat for about 15 seconds to briefly cool, then pour in the broth. Add the water, cilantro sprigs, chicken, and salt. (optional, add mushrooms and red onions) Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately then lower the heat to gently simmer for 20-25 minutes.
While the broth simmers, soak the rice noodles in hot water until pliable and opaque. Drain, rinse, and set aside. Test your noodles, they should be soft and pliable but still have a slight bite.
After 10-12 minutes of simmering, the chicken should be firm and cooked through (press on it and it should slightly yield). Transfer the chicken to a bowl, flush with cold water to stop the cooking, then drain. Set the chicken aside until cool enough to handle, then shred into bite-size pieces. You will only need 1 chicken breast for the soup. Reserve second one for noodle salad. If you don't plan on making the salad, use only 1 piece of chicken.
When the broth is done simmering, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium pot. Discard the solids. You should have about 4 cups broth. Season with fish sauce and sugar, if needed, to create a strong savory-sweet note. If using red onion you may not need sugar.
Bring the strained broth to a boil over high heat. Put the noodles in a noodle strainer or mesh sieve and dunk in the hot broth to heat and soften, 5 to 60 seconds. Lift the noodles from the pot and divide between the 2 bowls.
Reduce the heat to keep the broth hot while you arrange the chicken on top of the noodles and garnish with the chopped green onion, cilantro, and a sprinkling of pepper. Taste for seasoning. Return the broth to a boil and ladle into the bowls.
Extra broth can be refrigerated or frozen. You will need 1/2 cup of broth for the noodle salad.

Notes

Each serving: Calories 457; Protein 33 grams; Carbohydrates 70 grams; Fiber 2 grams; Fat 6 grams; Saturated fat 1 gram; Cholesterol 72 mg; Sugar 2 grams; Sodium 1,363 mg

A Photastic Chicken Noodle Salad (Pho Ga Tron)

By threejamigos | April 15, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

I found a recipe in the Los Angeles Times for a quick delicious Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup, Pho Ga. The author, Andrea Ngyuen also tacked on a second recipe, Pho Ga Tron, or Chicken Pho Noodle Salad. The broth from the Pho Ga is a building block for the sweet and spicy dressing for the salad. The salad contains rice noodles, herbs, and greens, and is topped with crispy fried onions and roasted peanuts. It’s lip-smacking good! Andrea actually makes the quick broth just for this dish and serves bowls of the broth alongside the salad. Make the soup for Pho Ga one day, and reserve the extra broth to make the dressing for the salad another day. I julienned romaine lettuce for added crunch. I bet napa cabbage or iceberg would also work.

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Chicken Pho Noodle Salad

Course Salad

Cuisine Asian

Keyword Pho Ga Tron, Vietnamese Chicken Pho Salad

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Servings 4

Ingredients

Quick Chicken Pho broth, divided. See Quick Pho Ga recipe

1/2 cup chicken pho broth
1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 1⁄2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sriracha sauce plus more for serving
2 tablespoons unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar
3 tablespoons regular soy sauce
1 1⁄2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 1⁄2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons water
10 ounces dried medium flat rice noodles
About 8 ounces cooked chicken from Quick Chicken Pho
2 cups butter lettuce or soft leaf lettuce cut into narrow ribbons, with spines intact
1⁄4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leafy tops only
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint or Thai basil leaves
1/3 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup fried shallots or onion homemade or purchased
Thinly sliced green onions for garnish

Instructions

Combine 1⁄2 cup of the broth with the salt, sugar, chile sauce, vinegar and soy sauce. Set this sauce mixture near the stove.
Put the oil and the garlic in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until the garlic sizzles and is light blond, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from heat for about 15 seconds to cool slightly, then add the sauce mixture. Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Stir the cornstarch slurry, then swirl into the bubbly sauce. Once thickened, about 15 seconds, remove from heat and set aside for at least 10 minutes before using. This makes about 1/2 cup sauce.
Meanwhile, boil the noodles in a pot of water until tender chewy following the package instructions, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, cool quickly under running water, then set aside to fully drain and cool.
Reheat the remaining broth in a saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, cut or shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and, if needed, warm in a microwave oven to remove the chill and refresh; ideally the chicken has some succulence. Set aside.
To assemble, have 4 rice bowls for broth and 4 noodle-soup-size bowls for the salad. Put a little green onion into each rice bowl (use the rest for the noodle salad). Set near the broth.
Divide the lettuce among the noodle soup bowls. Add a portion of noodles and chicken, then drizzle over the sauce to taste. Top with the remaining green onion, cilantro, mint (or basil), peanut, and fried shallots (or onion).
Ladle the hot broth into the rice bowls. Serve immediately with the noodle salad bowls. Invite guests to wield spoons and chopsticks to toss their salads and enjoy the broth as soothing interludes. If the noodles seem too heavy with sauce, mix in a spoonful of broth.

Each serving:

Calories 613; Protein 33 grams; Carbohydrates 82 grams; Fiber 3 grams; Fat 18 grams; Saturated fat 3 grams; Cholesterol 72 mg; Sugar 10 grams; Sodium 1,795 mg

Time Flies: A Look Back at Nashville

By threejamigos | April 4, 2019 | Comments 3 comments

It’s hard to believe it has almost been a year since the twins graduated from college! It feels like it was just a couple of weeks ago we were making our mad dash from Nashville to Houston to make both graduations! And yet I know it has been a while because I miss both cities and feel like I should be planning a trip back to each one. I might just have to do that.

A friend asked me for dining recommendations in Nashville. Looking back I realize I missed a couple of spots that were definite favorites on our visits to the Music City.

Stroll down Broadway both during the day and the night. It’s the tale of two cities. Noisy, honky-tonk vibe by night, historic walking friendly district by day. During the day, take a stroll on the riverfront, visit Ryman Auditorium or the Johnny Cash Museum. By night, enjoy live music and shenanigans at the many bars on the street. It’s lively and a lot of fun.

Close to Vandy, you would invariably find us stopping at these 3 places at least once during a trip. Friendly, noisy, always a good time.

Hattie B’s Hot Fried Chicken

Dessert Anyone? Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream in Hillsboro near campus and in 12 South

A must for our Vandy Family, Desano Pizza. Noisy, fun, great pie, definitely tasted better with friends.

Previous visits to Nashville! All things Southern-Classic Nashville Eats and Nash-Ville Nash-Ville, My Kinda Town

Wanna blow a wad? Try Sean Brock’s Husk. I miss Nashville and our Vandy Family.

Peanut Butter Mochi, that’s my Jam

By threejamigos | April 2, 2019 | Comments 7 comments

My cookbook addiction continues unabated. One of my new favorites is A Common Table by Cynthia Chen McTernan. It’s a beautiful cookbook filled with not only mouthwatering photographs of her food but wonderful stories about her family and friends. Her recipes are approachable and her writing inviting. In contrast to the cookbooks of yesteryear, today’s cookbooks, like A Common Table, breathe life, warmth, and a personal connection into each recipe. It makes me want to call my Mom, my kids, my aunties and uncles and say, “Hey, come on over we gonna cook, eat, and talk story”.

Have You Eaten Yet? (code for I ❤️ you)

This is not a cookbook that strives to teach one to cook, it’s more like a series of love letters, first and foremost to her family and friends, and then to all of us. Her soulful, homey food reflects her southern upbringing, her Chinese heritage, her hubby’s Hawaiian-Korean-Irish roots, and their lives together. These are recipes I imagine are passed down from grandmother to mother and mother to daughter. Each generation adding its own personal stamp.

Two Red Bowls is Cynthia’s blog, ground zero for her food and family tales. She has managed to juggle a toddler, a newborn, a blog, and a book, no small feat. Wow!

Onto her delicious food. Needing a gluten-free dessert to bring to a potluck, I instantly thought of the peanut butter mochi in her book. Mochi, made of glutinous rice flour, is chewy, dense, and all the craze right now. Imagine a marshmallow but dense, chewy, and only slightly sweet. Mallows on roids. To top it off, soooo easy to make. Literally, one bowl plus a wooden spoon. The addition of peanut butter brings a familiar flavor and texture to the mochi, a great intro for the uninitiated. Did I mention GLUTEN FREE?

The gold standard for rice flour and readily available is Koda Farms Blue Star Mochiko. Ground into a fine powder, it blends quickly and is easy to work with. Throw the flour, sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl. Stir, don’t worry about overmixing (no gluten), pour, and bake. The batter will resemble a thick, elastic pancake batter.

Plop the peanut butter evenly into the batter so that everyone gets a bite of peanut butter, and then it’s oven time. Midway through baking, sprinkle crushed peanuts on top. Next time I am thinking of using honey-roasted peanuts, to really accentuate the play on sweet and salty. The batter will puff while baking, not to worry, it will flatten as the mochi is cooling.

Once it has cooled a bit, dig in, warm mochi is yummy. I cut mine into squares and then further divided half of the squares into rectangular bars. Just so delicious, the combo of chewy mochi, pockets of oozy soft peanut butter, and the crunchy peanut topping-the trifecta of yum. It’s hard to resist and eat just one. It’s dense in texture and calories but so worth it!

I think you could make this milk-free by using coconut milk in place of milk. I have yet to try it. Andrea Nguyen, Asian cookbook author extraordinaire created a riff by adding black sesame paste, Black Sesame Peanut Butter Mochi, which looks delish, I am so going to make her version soon.

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5 from 2 votes

Peanut Butter Mochi

Gluten free and delicious. Made with sweet rice flour a dense, chewy, a totally addicting treat! A quick and easy recipe!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Asian, Asian-American

Keyword Mochi, peanut butter, sweet rice flour

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Servings 16 Servings

Ingredients

Filling

6 Tbsp Peanut butter Natural, creamy or chunky
2 Tbsp Powdered sugar

Cake

1-1/2 Cups Sweet rice flour 225gm
3/4 Cup Granulated sugar
1/8 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Whole milk
1/2 Cup Vegetable oil
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla
1/2 Cup Roasted peanuts Or substitute honey roasted peanuts
1 Tbsp Brown sugar Optional, to be added to plain roasted peanuts,

Instructions

For the peanut butter filling, whisk together the peanut butter and confectioner’s sugar until smooth. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, letting the paper go up the sides so you can easily lift the cake out later on.
In a medium bowl, combine the sweet rice flour, sugar, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla, whisk until smooth. Don’t worry about overworking the batter when making the cake, sweet rice flour is GLUTEN FREE.
Pour half the batter into the prepared baking dish. Used 2 small spoons or small teaspoon ice cream scoop to drop spoonfuls of the filling evenly across the batter, then pour the remaining batter over the filling. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
While the mochi is baking, place the peanuts in a food processor or blender and pulse until finely chopped. Remove the mochi cake from the oven, sprinkle of the crushed peanuts across the top. The cake maybe puffy so spread nuts as evenly as you can. The cake will fall as it cools.
Return the cake to the oven and bake until the center bounces back when pressed, an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool about 20 minutes before trying to lift the parchment paper to remove the cake from the pan.
Enjoy warm or at room temperature. The mochi slices cleanly when cool, but is delish warm.
Store in an airtight container and keep at room temp if cool, or refrigerate. Microwave pieces on high with 15-second blasts to refresh.

Weekend at Jamie’s (Eat, Walk, Laugh in Minneapolis)

By threejamigos | March 31, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

I headed out to Minneapolis last weekend to see my girl. MISSED her so much I dropped everything I was doing, hopped on a plane and got out there. Really, what a good mom…through wet and snow and chilly temps, I went to visit my girl.

Did I mention she had tickets to Ali Wong?

Not a factor AT ALL. Nope, not at all.

I am still laughing a week later. She was HILARIOUS. For those wondering who is Ali Wong? She is a comedian, writes for Fresh Off the Boat, and has a couple of Netflix specials under her belt. A little rude, sometimes crude (ok, more than sometimes) but so damn funny. Ironic she is from the Bay Area but I went all the way to Minneapolis to see her, go figure.

I arrived in the afternoon so I had a couple of hours to kill before Jamie got home from work. Luckily, Minneapolis is a very easy city to get around. I took the light rail from the airport to Jamie’s house, 20 minutes to the US Bank Stadium which is right across the street from her AND less than 3 dollars for the ride!

How did I fill the hours pre and post Ali Wong? Lucky for me the weather was warm and balmy on the Minneapolis winter scale, about 30 degrees, perfect. I raided Jamie’s fridge, found a delicious chicken and mushroom soup and then headed out to walk the neighborhood.

If you ever get the chance to visit Minneapolis. Go. It’s a great city, very walkable, great art, awesome food, and a friendly Midwest vibe. A five-minute walk from her apartment took me to the river path and the Mill City Museum. My favorite for all things flour.

Worked up an appetite on my walk (just an excuse) and as soon as Jamie arrived home, we headed out for dinner.

Spoon and Stable, walking distance, delicious food. We started with a cheese plate (of course) and ended with dessert. In between? Squid Ink Pasta, Grilled Octopus, Creamed Spinach with those infamous Cheese Curds-I’m in dairy heaven…needless to say, we decided we needed to walk home too.

Ended with a delicious Buttermilk Panna Cotta.

Saturday found us hunting for a pop-up event at Lowry’s Meat Co. Two Guys, Chris and Yia, of Union Kitchen Mn, making delicious Hmong food in the Twin Cities. Today’s menu featured Khoa Poon, a Laotian bowl of comfort made with chicken, curry, coconut milk, lemongrass and a bunch of herbs-cilantro, mint, and basil. On top of the noodles sits an array of veggies-cabbage, radishes, sprouts and fried shallots. OMG, freakin’ delicious! Their second offering, Duck Pho, the slices of duck literally melted in my mouth, so good. It was so delicious I didn’t want to share with Jamie! Chris and Yia are cooking, sharing, and teaching folks all about Hmong food and culture. They’ll be “poppin up” @ #sociableciderwerks every week, check them out.

I love Minneapolis, just like Houston, it has become a melting pot of people and cultures. This is the America I envision, people from everywhere working hard, exchanging ideas, sharing their lives, food, culture, putting their unique stamp on America. I had the best bowl of pho ever and the most amazing bbq all in one day in Houston. Yep, that Houston-Houston, TEXAS. My next trip to Minneapolis we are going for Somali food. I can’t wait.

I still dream about this bowl of Khao Poon…so good.

Great Lakes = Lotsa Duck dishes. Damn good duck, that’s for sure.

Yia, one half of the Union Kitchen Team! I’m a noodle nerd groupie, what can I say. Addendum: I’m really excited for them, they are featured on Episode 3 of United Shades of America on CNN with W. Kama Bell ( I plan to watch when I get home from Japan).

Needing desperately to walk off lunch, we headed to The Minneapolis Institute of Art A wondrous exhibit “Sunken Treasures of Egypt” had us mesmerized.

This tablet stands at least 3 feet high. So impressive…until I found out it was a tax bill! Great art scene in Minneapolis, don’t miss it. Somethings stand the test of time…convoluted, BIG tax codes.

Our walk home from the Ali Wong Show gave us an excuse to cruise for food so we stopped at a Japanese joint right down the block from Jamie’s, Zen Box Izakaya. Their Kimchi Ramen is off the hook as is their grilled yellowtail collar.

Sunday morning: Study time

With a Korean language test looming on Monday when I return home, Jamie and I headed to her favorite bagel joint Rise for a breakfast bagel and coffee (lots of it) and study time.

On the way to Rise, the walk wouldn’t be complete without passing MTM. I know, many of you are thinking what? (Check it out on You-Tube) But, for those of you old enough to remember, I’m sure you are smiling right now, The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Who can turn the world on with her smile…Go, visit Minneapolis, you’ll have a great time.

Tryin’ to Squash A Cold! (Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup)

By threejamigos | March 24, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

How does that old adage go? Feed a cold, starve a fever? The thought crossed my mind as I was miserably lying in bed, achy, congested, and generally feeling like crap. Thank goodness for laptops and search engines…I found a Scientific America article that addressed this very proverb and whaddya know, going all Mythbuster, Scientific America, not only debunked it, but concluded it really should be “Feed a cold, FEED a fever”. Yeah baby, I love science.

What is the perfect antidote when it is cold, when you are sick, when you crave comfort, but you are too tired to fuss? SOUP. Am I right? Yep, bowl therapy to the rescue. It didn’t take long to find a soup that fit the bill. From the blog Creative Bites, Pressure Cooker Creamy Butternut Squash Soup. Lucky for me I had bought a butternut squash at the market and had all of the ingredients handy. “Kold karma” pointed me to this quick (thanks to my Instant Pot) and easy, delicious soup.

Here’s the HARD part. The PREP. Yeah, no getting around peeling that butternut squash and dicing ALL THOSE vegetables. Well, I suppose you could buy pre-cut squash, diced onions and minced garlic, but that’s your call. It’s part of cooking therapy for me.

NOW, the EASY part. Prep was 90% of the game. You’re now sitting pretty on 3rd base ready to score, just a mere minutes from homebowl. Get it? I love the apples and red bell pepper, they add a nice sweetness. Saute the veggies in your Instant Pot. It’s important when you add the stock, really stir the bottom of pot to release all those bits of saute goodness. The pot is very sensitive to bits stuck on the bottom and will turn off as a safety precaution if the bottom isn’t clean. Add the stock, seal the pot, and then set the timer for 5 MINUTES. Yep, five minutes and quick release at the end. With the time it takes to come to pressure, you’re still only looking at 15 minutes of cooking time. Not bad.

I used an immersion blender in the pot to puree the soup. There are a lot of comments online about how it doesn’t work as well as a blender. BUTTERNUTS. Not creamy enough? Throw the immersion stick back in and blend some more. I’m willing to sacrifice a bit of creaminess (though I don’t think I am) to do this, as oppose to pouring HOT soup, in batches, into my blender. I’m saving my blender for smoothies and Margaritas.

Go ahead and play around with this soup recipe. It’s very forgiving. Got thyme? Substitute for sage. Got time? Skip the Instant Pot, roast the vegetables instead. See the prepped veggies above? Throw it all in a roasting pan, give it a good swig of olive oil, toss, salt and pepper and roast at 425 for about an hour). The vegetables caramelize in the oven and add a sweetness to the soup that’s “souper” yummy. Creative bites calls for goat cheese or cream cheese. I like cream cheese because it adds a whole lot of mouth feel and just a slight tanginess. You could probably use sour cream, creme fraiche or even just a touch of heavy whipping cream instead. This would lighten the soup but you might lose that creaminess.

FINISH WITH TOPPING MADNESS. Once your soup is done, garnish with ANYTHING your little heart desires. Toasted nuts or pepitas, bacon, sliced apples, or more BACON, croutons. Did I mention bacon? I was sent a mix of nuts as a soup topping by my Food52 Holiday Gift Swap buddy- it was perfect.

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Creamy Butternut Squash Soup Instant Pot

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword butternut squash

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large yellow onion diced
1 red bell pepper chopped
2 tsp. diced garlic
1 tsp. fresh ground ginger
2 lb. butternut squash peeled and cubed 1 medium squash
1 medium apple peeled cored and chopped
1 tsp. sage Substitute thyme or curry powder
1/8 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
3 c. chicken stock I used additional cup to thin down the soup a bit
3 oz. cream cheese Sub goat cheese
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese
Salted Pepitas for garnish Or anything you like, like BACON BITS, spicy nuts, chives, sliced apple, sautéed wild mushrooms...
1 Tbsp Brown sugar, optional To add roasted squash’s sweetness

Instructions

Turn on the Saute function on Instant Pot. Add the olive oil, onions and bell pepper. Saute on high for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the cubed squash, apple, sage, chili powder, sea salt and chicken stock.
Place the lid on your Instant Pot and move the knob to seal. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes and do a quick release of the pressure.
Using an immersion blender in the Instant Pot, puree the mixture. Add the cream cheese and Parmesan, stir to melt and continue to puree until very smooth.
Garnish and serve.

All I Want for Christmas is…PIE (Pecan Pie)

By threejamigos | March 15, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

Well, this is embarrassing. I was supposed to post this during the holidays but instead, it has been languishing in my drafts file. What better day than Pi Day to post it.

Desserts for the holidays are a no-brainer. Pies or tarts are the order of the holi-DAY. The only sticky wicket in our house is what kind of pie will grace the table. Hubster is a traditionalist; he votes for Apple Pie every time. Jorge loves Pumpkin Pie. Jamie loves Peach Pie, and Jeffrey would like cheesecake to be added to the pie category. Me? I dream about the Key Lime Pie at Poorhouse Pies or Tartine’s Lemon Cream Tart (still a pie, right?).

But the one holiday pie we all agree on is Pecan Pie. There is some wiggle room though, sometimes it shows up as a traditional pie or more often than not, it shows up as bite-sized tartlets. I love the little tartlets–I don’t have to share.

But the tartlets will have to wait for another day. This is all about pie, baby–pecan pie.

My favorite recipe comes from way back in the day from Michael Bauer’s book “Recipe for Success”. It’s a collection of recipes from his Chronicle column. The Butter Pecan Pie from Restaurant Chow in the City is a winner. You can call this post “a tip of my cap” to Mr. Bauer, who recently retired as the restaurant reviewer for the Chronicle.

Unlike most Pecan Pie recipes, there is an extra step in this one. The filling requires cooking on the stove before baking. This helps to make the filling smooth

I included the original crust recipe, but I normally use my tried and true. Your choice, but you are reading MY blog so….. 😛 Make sure to freeze the crust for 10-15 minutes before adding the filling and baking. The warmth of the filling can melt the crust before it properly bakes so don’t skip this step.

Though the recipe calls for pecan halves, I chop the nuts into pieces. Why? There is less smooshing of the pie as you cut into it with the smaller pieces. I opted for function over form. The recipe calls for light corn syrup, but I have used a mix of light and Lyle’s Golden Syrup or all Golden Syrup. The knock on pecan pie is it can be pretty sweet. The amount of butter in this recipe helps temper the sweetness. The original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon vanilla, but you can add up to 1 tablespoon. That also helps cut the sweetness. Another option is 1 tablespoon of bourbon if you’re feeling boozy.

Try not to overbake it. I know…what the heck does that mean?! The will pie continue to cook after it is taken out of the oven so try to remove the pie when it is set but the center still has a little jiggle left.

Life’s major decisions…

Print Pin

BUTTER PECAN PIE

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword PecanPie

Servings 1 serving

Calories 695kcal

Ingredients

The Crust

-- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all- purpose flour + additional flour for rolling pastry
-- 1 teaspoon sea salt
-- 3/4 cup 6 ounces chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
-- 1/4 cup ice water

The Filling

-- 1 1/2 cups pecans halves and pieces
-- 1 cup C & H golden brown sugar
-- 1 scant cup light corn syrup or substitute Lyle's Golden Syrup
-- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
-- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
-- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
-- 3 eggs lightly beaten
-- 1 teaspoon vanilla can use up 1 tablespoon, or add 1 tablespoon bourbon
-- Vanilla ice cream or lightly whipped cream

Instructions

To make the crust:

Combine the 1 1/2 cups flour and the salt in a food processor and mix briefly. Gradually add the butter to the flour mixture while pulsing the processor on and off, until the butter is cut into pieces the size of small peas. With the processor running, gradually add the ice water and process until large clumps form.
Remove the dough from the processor, shape into a ball, and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.
Let the dough soften slightly at room temperature. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 13-inch round. Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan. Trim any dough hanging over the edge. Crimp the edges decoratively. Freeze for 10 minutes.

To make the filling:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place rack in lowest position possible in oven.
Combine the pecans, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, flour and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Cool 15 minutes.
Whisk together the eggs and vanilla. Stir about 1/2 cup of the hot sugar mixture into the eggs to temper them, then stir this mixture into the hot sugar mixture.
Pour the filling into the pie shell. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until the custard has set and the nuts rise to the top, about 30 to 40 minutes. If the crust browns too quickly, cover with foil. Transfer to a rack and let cool.
Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Serves 8.