World Cup of Yum

Papaya Cream Pie with Amaretto Blueberry Topping

It’s become something of a Thanksgiving weekend tradition for my cousin Doug and I to see the latest Pixar/Disney movie and invent a pie. Last year, we saw Coco and created an apple persimmon pie with a goat cheese and pistachio topping, but in the Thanksgiving frenzy I failed to document the Guessipe… we’ll have…

Turkey Pot Pie

Turkey is one of my least favorite meats, but what’s one way to make it better? Combine it with one of my favorite foods… pie! While I don’t look forward to the Thanksgiving turkey meal, I do look forward to turning that leftover turkey into a creamy savory turkey pot pie. If you want to…

Tuna Rillettes

Cookbook Club – Bouchon; Around My French Table Fiona and Anthony hosted a bonus event this month, featuring French food and friends! We were excited to try some food from Bouchon, but because Thomas Keller’s cooking can be daunting, we also had the option of making something from Dorie Greenspan’s more accessible Around My French…

Dry-Fried Green Beans

This was the only way I’d ever eaten green beans for a long time, so I kind of thought it was the only way Chinese people ever cooked them. Even if it’s not the only way, I’m pretty sure it’s the most common way. And for good reason – it’s simple and delicious. Guessipe 1…

Do Chua Salad

Cookbook Club – Appetites: A Cookbook This year we lost a titan of the food world, so in Anthony Bourdain’s memory we used his Appetites: A Cookbook for our October Cookbook Club. Anthony Bourdain captivated so many people with his fearless travels, so it’s no surprise that this book of his personal favorites includes recipes…

Crunch and Squash Salad

I like a hearty salad that really gives you something to chew on and fills you up. This is one such salad – with crisp and crunch from the cucumber and jicama, creamy avocado, and roasted squash that adds an almost meatiness. You can of course add in other veg that you like and change…

Miso-Mustard Dressing

Cookbook Club – Salt Fat Acid Heat For September’s Cookbook Club, we used Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat. I’d call it more of a book about cooking than a cookbook… you don’t actually get to the recipes until the second half of the book, but the first half is full of information essential…

Spicy Sweet Roasted Squash Seeds

I’m a big proponent of minimizing food waste by using as many parts of produce and animals as possible. So next time you cook with squash, don’t throw those seeds away! Roast them for a tasty snack. You can do this simply with olive oil and salt, but I like to zing it up a…

Sunflower Cookies

Cookbook Club – The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen For our regular August Cookbook Club event, we used The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen by Sean Sherman. I’d never cooked Native American food before, so I was looking forward to cooking (and eating) from this book that uses indigenous American ingredients – no European staples like wheat…

Italian White Beans & Escarole

Cookbook Club – 2nd Anniversary In August, we had a special event to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Cookbook Club – I can’t believe it’s been over 2 years, filled with glorious food and fun times with friends! We asked people to cook from any of the cookbooks we’ve used so far. I chose to…

Gone Fishin’ – Mexico

Following my enthusiasm after my initial foray into ocean fishing, my friend Nelson invited me on a deep sea fishing excursion to Mexico. I was graduating to the big leagues! Ok, more like advancing from little league to the minors, but for me… super exciting! This time, he declared a high likelihood that we would…

Broccoli in Creamy Garlic Sauce

My grandma taught me this Chinese method for making a creamy garlicky sauce using cornstarch and egg. I love it on broccoli that has been parboiled so it’s bright green and still crunchy. It’s a quick and easy dish that tastes rich and full of flavor. Guessipe 1/2 lb broccoli florets 3 cloves garlic, minced…