Hand Pies!

I'm not sure why I've been entranced with the idea of hand pies this month.  It could be that with the busy schedule I like the thought of having something to go from freezer to plate that's homemade and flavorful after a long day of work.  It could be that I just like any excuse to use my killer pie crust.  It could be that I need something appropriately British to match the accent my internal dialogue has picked up since I spent two sick days on the couch watching Downton Abbey.  Or it could be that they're just a really great idea.  A pie you hold in your hand.  A pie you can eat all by yourself without getting funny looks.  A hand pie!

Char Siu Bao and Gai Lan

This was our dim sum dinner a few weeks ago- one of several we've had and probably the best one so far.  We had char siu bao made two ways, umami eggs, and sauteed gai lan, which might be my new favorite kind of greens.  Really the only problem with this meal came at the end, when we were left to suffer a persistent lack of green tea ice cream despite our endless whining about needing some.  

What Didn't Make The Cut

There were a lot of great things cooked over at the Dog Eat Blog house during the last few months, but between bad lighting, busy nights, and sheer laziness, they were never properly documented for you.  And they were good enough that they deserve to be shared.  So I wanted to make a list, with short, quick recipes, of some of the things I delighted in making and eating over the past couple of months.

Black Pepper Tofu with Black Garlic Noodles

Have you heard of black garlic? It's garlic... that's black.  It comes with a reputation for having lots of umami, which may or may not be my new favorite word, by the way.  I found it at Whole Foods one day, and had read a few recipes that used it but wasn't entirely sure what to do with it for a while.  I cut open some cloves and smeared it on bread with arugula pesto and fresh ricotta, stirred it into a sweet potato hash, but neither application really highlighted the black garlic flavor.  This recipe did exactly what I wanted.  It was phenomenal.  

Savory Muffins

I have never been known to be at a loss for words.  I like them so much I talk to myself all the time.  I compose emails, blog posts, and phone conversations in the car or while I run.  But right now, I'm suffering from a bad case of writer's exhaustion.  Between my thesis, editing papers for my students, writing articles for a new side job, patent and grant writing at work, I'm just done with words.  

Cilantro Pesto and things to eat with it

 

I have never understood why some people don't like cilantro.  It's got this bright and sunny flavor that goes well with any protein or vegetable, that just taste like "fresh."  It's my deserted island herb- if I could only bring one, it'd be cilantro.  I understand not liking parsley, or rosemary, or even not being a fan of basil (although I'd probably give you grief about that one).  Maybe it's like the aspartame-flavor gene, some people have a bad cilantro-flavor gene.... and I say, all the better for me- more to grace my plate!