decadence

Turns out "three a week" is actually tougher than it sounds. As can be seen through my diminished blog posts, it has proven tougher to try three new recipes per week than I'd originally assumed. Life just gets in the way. However, I can say that the experiment has broadened my repertoire to the point where I can easily whip up a weekday lunch or dinner without giving it much thought. And my picky family is even complaining that some of their favorites are not in rotation enough!

Now I'm saving my energy for bigger projects for special occasions, such as the salted dark chocolate peanutbutter birthday cake above (yes, you read that right. A little slice goes a long way). And yes, the birthday boy has a thing for Star Wars. I won't reveal his age though :)

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen's infinitely more chic looking cake. I need more practice so my celebration cakes can look like that!

ina garten's lemon loaf cake

Finally back in SF after a whirlwind wedding weekend in LA. I was looking forward to seeing family and relatives, and to eating all of the wonderful food that I miss so much, but all of the events left me (and the kids) overtired and cranky. I am glad to be back home, and to have a chance to cook and and eat simply again.

We are kicking off our week home with a lemon loaf cake. A friend is having a tough time in her personal life, and I thought we could give her a little sweet to cheer her up. Filled with lemon zest and eggs, this loaf cake is surprisingly light, with a tender crumb. When life gives you lemons - make lemon cake!

Ina Garten's Lemon Cake

vegetarian gyoza

Not exactly a new recipe. In fact, no recipe link today. Unfortunately in the last few weeks my 3 a week resolution has been felled by 1) Spring Break, 2) a really nasty flu, and 3) my mother's visit from Taiwan. On the upside, what better timing for a visit from my mom? It's been great to bask in her attention and sleep in while she gives the kids breakfast, and have homemade gyoza for dinner. Yippee for moms (especially moms who specialize in homemade gyoza)!

cavatappi with lemon, ricotta, and arugula

After a week in Tahoe and 3 days in bed from a bout with the flu, I'm finally starting to think about cooking again! Tonight's simpler-than-simple dinner was inspired by the beautiful spring produce I found in the market today - just picked corn, tender arugula, and fresh basil. Veggies this fresh don't need much cooking to taste great. Happy Spring!

Lemon, Ricotta, Arugula, and Basil Pasta

marie callendar's lemon cheesecake pie

Having grown up in Southern California, I've always had a fondness for Marie Callendar's pies. When I was young, it was always such a treat if a visitor brought a pie to share. My favorites were the fresh strawberry, piled high with strawberry and glistening under a ruby glaze, or the sour cream cheesecake pie, with its velvety cream cheese layer topped with the smoothest, whitest cloud of sour cream. What luxury!

Faced with a surfeit of lemons this week, I found this recipe for Marie Callendar's lemon cheesecake pie. It was easy and quick to make using a pre-baked graham cracker pieshell, though as you can see the crust doesn't hold up well. Next time I'll probably make my own crust using a shortbread dough, and sprinkle with a touch more sugar to bring out the lemony flavor of the lemon curd on top. For an easy springtime dessert, this recipe worked out great (and apologies for the pictures this week - as you can see, serving the guests took precedence over photography this week!)

Marie Callendar's Lemon Cheesecake Pie

celery and mushroom salad

What a week! Between the kids' Spring Parties and playdates, I've barely had time to sit down. We had an impromptu dinner party on Thursday evening. The menu: curried deviled eggs, celery and mushroom salad, truffled pasta, and lemon cheesecake pie. As it was a last-minute decision to invite friends over, I found recipes using what we had on hand.

This celery and mushroom salad is adapted from Lidia Bastiniach's recipe, linked below. It was fine, but not memorable - next time I'll try substituting kale for the celery, which seemed too bland in this salad.

Lidia's Celery and Mushroom Salad

lemon parmesan pearl barley risotto

We've been trying out various whole grains this year, and pearl barley has turned out to be one of our favorites (for some reason calling it "Monkey Rice" has turned it into a hit with at least one of the buns, which I consider a success). Nutty and sweet, the grain adds some nice texture to this dish, which otherwise can feel almost too simple. Lemon and basil combine to lend a Springtime note. Warm with some crusty bread, it makes a nice early Spring dinner, or have it cold for a lunchtime picnic, as we did yesterday under the cherry blossoms!

Lemon Parmesan Pearl Barley Risotto
3 cups pearl barley, cooked
3 lemons, juiced
1 tablespoon lemon zest
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons finely julienned fresh basil
sea salt to taste


In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together lemon juice, zest, olive oil, and parmesan. Pour in pearl barley and mix well. Fold in basil. Top with sea salt. Serve hot or at room temperature. 

korean mungbean jelly (muk)

Of all the restaurants in San Francisco, it's funny that the only one where we are considered regulars is a Korean restaurant. Maybe its the underground parking - a lifesaver in the rainy season when dining out with kids - or maybe its the deliciousness of the food, the sweetness of the staff and owner, the cleanliness and child-friendliness of the establishment. But honestly, I think its their muk. Muk is a savory jello-like dish commonly served in Korean restaurants among the little appetizers they pass out called panchan. Whenever my kids hear the words mungbean jelly, they cheer.

There's a korean grocery near the restaurant, and feeling inspired one day, I asked the owner if he stocked the ingredients necessary to make muk. He handed me a package of whitish powder, and painstakingly translated the korean instructions for me. My new favorite grocer!

Muk (Korean mungbean jelly)
For Jelly
1/4 cup mungbean starch powder (available at korean grocery stores)
1/2 tsp sea salt


For Sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1/4 cup minced scallions
1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp red chili flakes (optional - don't add this for the kids' portion!)


In a heavy pot, place 1/4 cup mungbean starch powder and add 1 3/4 cups water. Using a wooden spoon, stir until well mixed. Bring to boil on medium heat, stirring every so often to keep from sticking to bottom of pan. Add salt after mixture reaches boil, turn heat on low, and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring. You'll know its ready when mixture looks bubbly and translucent. Pour into shallow glass containers and cool, chilling for at least 2 hours. When firm, cut into cubes and serve with sauce.


For sauce: mix all ingredients together, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Spoon over muk and serve chilled or at room temperature.

slow cooker cooking: tuscan chicken & artichokes

Babble's "Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken" recipe popped up in my inbox on Monday morning just as I was checking out at the grocery store, and as I only needed two more ingredients to make it, I decided to try it for a playdate dinner we were hosting this week. I grabbled a couple of organic chicken breasts and a can of fire-roasted chicken, and made my way home. While the kids ate breakfast this morning, I turned the slow cooker on low, added the chicken breasts, the tomatoes, and sprinkled on a teaspoon of dried Italian herbs. I popped a few artichoke hearts in a few hours before serving, and at served dinner at six o'clock.  The chicken was moist and tender, and my toddler loved it diced in small pieces. For adults, serve over pasta with some parmesan, fresh basil, and maldon sea salt.

Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes, with sauce
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
salt to taste
parmesan cheese
fresh basil (optional)


Place chicken breasts into crock pot. Sprinkle with dried herbs and top with the whole can of tomatoes, including the sauce. Cook on "low" for 7-8 hours. Serve over pasta, with grated parmesan, basil, and sea salt to taste.

the best granola you'll ever eat

Perhaps I'm still a novice, but it's rare that I make something at home and think that it's the best of its category. Usually, I settle for "this is pretty good, for homemade." This granola so exceeds expectations that I'm frankly astonished.

Adapted from a New York Times recipe for Eleven Madison Park granola, I substituted my favorite nuts for the coconut chips and sunflower seeds, and played around with the salt ratio to increase the savoriness. The chocolate chips are folded in after baking, and melt a bit to form little clusters of chocolatey goodness. The recipe is also seriously simple - 15 minutes of prep, 40 minutes in the oven. Honestly, I dare you to try this and then go back to storebought!

The Best Granola Ever
2 3/4 cups rolled oats
1 cup shelled pistachios
1/2 cup cashews
1 tablespoon salt (I used maldon sea salt)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup dried sour cherries
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix together oats, pistachios, cashews, and salt. In a small saucepan over low heat, stir together sugar, maple syrup, honey, and olive oil until sugar is just melted. Pour syrup mixture over dry ingredients and mix, making sure everything is coated well. Spread in a single layer on a lipped cookie sheet lined with parchment. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Cool slightly, then mix in cherries in chocolate chips. Cool completely before storing. And make sure to try it immediately - it is amazingly crisp and great on vanilla yogurt or ice cream!