World Cup of Yum

Spicy Spanish-Style Rice

Cookbook Club – Cinco de Mayo In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we did a Mexican themed Cookbook Club in May. We sourced recipes from three places – Joy of Cooking (2019 Edition), America’s Test Kitchen, and Chef John’s Food Wishes. Feast your eyes on the whole fiesta on my Cookbook Club site. For now…

Honey Ice Cream with Almond Loquat Swirl

I made a ton of loquat jam and it occurred to me that it would make a pretty good ice cream swirl. Honey seemed like a nice complementary flavor for the ice cream, and almonds added crunch plus some saltiness to cut the sweetness of the honey and jam. This ice cream flavor was such…

Loquat Jam

It’s loquat season and trees in my neighborhood are loaded down with fruit. Most people seem to have the trees for decorative purposes and don’t realize that loquats are fantastic eating… which means I luck into an abundance of loquats! A friend of mine has a loquat tree in her backyard and has been making…

Salted Caramel Praline Ice Cream

I find pralines a bit too sweet to just eat on their own. So I’ve had some leftover pralines that I’ve been trying to figure out something to do with. Now that I’m on this ice cream journey, I found a use for them. I have some friends who are obsessed with Salt and Straw…

Apple Pie Ice Cream

Ben and Jerry’s used to have an apple pie ice cream that I was obsessed with, but apparently I was the only one. When they discontinued it, I went to every store in my area and bought up all the remaining pints. I nursed that stash of ice cream for as long as I could,…

Orange Creamsicle Ice Cream

I got an ice cream maker for Christmas! With the crazy egg shortage that’s been happening, eggs are stupid expensive… so I’ve been experimenting for the last several months with Philadelphia style ice cream – no eggs required! It’s taken a bit of trial and error getting to know ice cream-making, but after much tinkering…

Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana is the best soup at Olive Garden. It’s actually the only reason I ever go to Olive Garden. So now that I figured out how to make it at home, I guess I don’t have any reason to go to Olive Garden anymore. The Instant Pot makes this extra quick and easy to…

Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup

Now that I’ve experienced what quick work the Instant Pot can make of cooking beans, I’ve been much more willing to experiment with bean dishes. I ate a white bean and sausage soup years ago that I still remember and think about from time to time, and now finally got around to re-creating. It was…

Instant Pot Pinto Beans

I rarely cook beans, mostly because it takes FOREVER. But not with an Instant Pot! I finally got one and have been experimenting, with varying levels of success. It’s been a process, gradually figuring out cooking times, liquid quantities required, and seasoning when you can’t taste as you go. This was the first Instant Pot…

Guava Cheese Pastries

My favorite Cuban bakery and my favorite Taiwanese bakery both have Guava Cheese Pastries. They are delicious, and similar enough that it got me thinking I could probably make them at home using my guava jam and the amazing ricotta from my cheese hookup. Guava Cheese Pastries are typically made with cream cheese, but I’ve…

Braided Loaf

Cookbook Club – Magnolia Table, Volume 2 In March, the Cookbook Club explored a little part of the Magnolia cult… I mean “network”… using the Magnolia Table, Volume 2 cookbook by Joanna Gaines. If you couldn’t tell, I was a bit dubious going in, and you can find out whether or not the meal turned…

Passion Fruit Ricotta Cookies

After the success of the cupcakes made with gluten-free flour, I decided cookies might be another good use for that flour. My cheese buddy suggested ricotta cookies, and the local passion fruit plants are dropping ripe fruits right now… so passion fruit ricotta cookies! This guessipe made over 40 cookies, and they were all consumed…