World Cup of Yum

Huancaina Sauce

Another one of my Peruvian favorites is Huancaina Sauce. I learned how to make this from a friend who is actually Chilean, but it tastes just like the Huancaina at my favorite Peruvian restaurant, so I’m going with it. It’s typically served with potatoes, but as you know by now potatoes aren’t my thing. Also…

Peruvian-Inspired Pie

I decided to do a Peruvian theme for a recent dinner party, since I had some aji panca paste I’ve been itching to use. Arroz Tapado (ground beef layered with rice, peas, and carrots) is one of the traditional dishes that uses aji panca, but one of my dinner guests doesn’t eat rice, so I…

Peach Blueberry Yogurt Cake

Still had some not-quite-peak-season peaches, as well as some blueberries that were a bit on the tart side. I thought baking them into a cake might be nice, and it was! I liked the aesthetic of the white and yellow peaches too. Guessipe 4 TBSP butter, softened 1 cup + 2 tsp sugar 2 eggs…

Peach Basil Meatballs

I had some leftover meatballs from when I made Meatball Cheese Crisps, and I had some end-of-season peaches that were ok but not the peak of sweetness we experienced a few weeks ago. Plus my basil plant has been doing really well lately. So I decided a savory dish might be a good use for…

Meatball Cheese Crisps

My cheese guy came through again, this time with a giant bag of shredded mozzarella. I also have an excessive supply of frozen meatballs at the moment, because for some reason my boyfriend keeps buying them every time he goes to the store. I decided to try making an appetizer of meatballs on mozzarella cheese…

Pralines

Cookbook Club – Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking The book for August’s Cookbook Club was Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking by Toni Tipton-Martin. For a glimpse into what we sampled from those two centuries, go to my Cookbook Club site. For now – my dish! At the…

Peanut Soup

Cookbook Club – Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking Our August Cookbook Club selection was Toni Tipton-Martin’s Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking. To see our jubilee experience, go to my Cookbook Club site. For now – my dish! I’d never heard of peanut soup before, but the recipe…

Kerabu Timun Nanas (Cucumber Pineapple Salad)

There is an amazing Malaysian restaurant in Seattle called Kedai Makan. It’s a bit out of the way, but if you are ever in Seattle it’s worth seeking it out. One of the top 10 meals of my life! My favorite dish was their Kerabu Timun Nanas – a cucumber and pineapple salad with kerisik….

Caramelized Zucchini and Onion Pasta

It’s summer squash season, and the abundance of zucchini everywhere got me thinking that it might be good caramelized along with onions. The combo of caramelized zucchini and onion came out even better than I expected, making a buttery sweet pasta sauce that I’ll definitely be making again. Guessipe 6 TBSP butter 1 onion, thinly…

Fried Heirloom Tomato Salad

More fun with heirloom tomatoes! Hearty enough to fry into a tasty topper for a bed of arugula. Drizzled with a creamy balsamic dressing, this made for a salad so good that my boyfriend (who’s preference is pretty much an all-carb diet) chose it over gnocchi. Guessipe 1/4 cup parmesan 1/8 cup cornmeal 1/8 cup…

Heirloom Tomatoes with Cheese Crisps

It’s tomato season, and I got some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes! It didn’t take much to make them into a killer midday snack, which has me itching to go back to the store for more heirloom tomatoes. Guessipe heirloom tomato, sliced balsamic salt and pepper to taste romano or parmesan cheese, shredded Drizzle the tomato slices…

Thai-Inspired Salad

We’re in the midst of summer right now, and it’s just too hot to be cooking and eating a hot meal. I was craving a salad that was hearty enough to be my dinner, but cool and refreshing to eat in this heat. While not an exact match for any traditional Thai salad, I used…