Three dips using Trader Joe's condiments Last year I saw several recipes for whipped cottage cheese and was fascinated. Unlike many folks, I happen to like cottage cheese but I know it has a certain aversion for many people. Although this recipe is super easy, it took...
Salmon rillettes are an elegant, make-ahead spread, perfect for a New Year's Eve celebration or a New Year's Day brunch. This is another recipe revived from the Moveable Feast vault from a meal celebrating master chef Jacques Pépin. Among the dishes served that...
I rarely find myself leading the way in new trends in food, much less anything else. And so I now find myself late to the chili crisp party. Two things happened that brought me to this point - someone gifted me a jar of Trader Joe's Chili Onion Crunch and I discovered...
We were gifted with a box of delicious soft pretzels from Eastern Standard Provisions. The box contained pretzels of different shapes and sizes, mustard, and toppings. It's an amazing gift and was so unexpected. Around the same time we received the box, I was surfing...
This recipe is inspired by the "bread service" at Zaftigs Delicatessen, one of my favorite restaurants in Brookline, MA. Now that I can no longer drop by to have this treat, I had to come up with a similar version that I can whip up when the craving strikes. Waste...
As we close out 2022 I am sharing an easy dip to put out on your New Year's buffet table. It's simple and very typical of the casual yet bountiful feasting you will find at local Hawaii homes. What is kamaboko? Kamaboko, or Japanese fishcake, is usually a white fish...
One of my all-time favorite Top Chef contestants is Sheldon Simeon. He is such a wonderful ambassador for local Hawaii cooking, bringing together his Filipino heritage and the multiple ethnic influences represented in our islands. I couldn't wait to get my hands on...
As we came out of our post-holiday food coma, we found ourselves assessing the leftovers. Ham bones and turkey carcasses were used for stock. Roast beef and potatoes were turned into shepherd's pie. Roast vegetables were used in a frittata. There is little in the...
We always have some form of cheese in our refrigerator - sliced cheese for sandwiches, string cheese and cheese wedges for snacking, and lots of other cheeses that sounded interesting and delicious. One of the ever-present cheeses you will find is feta. It is great...
or la tentation de Bramafam One thing I miss about my life in Boston is Moveable Feasts. I miss the meals that lasted for hours, my friends that made me laugh and cry and laugh until I cried, and the delicious food. Over the years, Julia Child's recipes featured...
“Eat your vegetables” was a commonly heard phrase when I was growing up. I don’t remember outright refusing to eat something (did I have that option?) but there were times when it was a struggle to finish what was in front of me. I was a typical kid, veggies did not...
New Year’s Eve in Hawaii usually means a big gathering of family and friends and a pot luck with foods representing all kinds of cuisine – sashimi, fried noodles, siu ji yuk, sushi. Our family’s contributions are often fried mundoo and Okinawan sweet potato and haupia...
Years ago (we're talking 20+ years) a friend shared this recipe with me. I think it came off the label of a can. It's been a reliable, go-to recipe and I haven't changed anything over the years. It's easy to pull together and more than likely I have the ingredients I...
This recipe is easy, tasty, and great for a crowd. I first made it for the Super Bowl and have made it a few times since. I've made a few minor adjustments but the original recipe really doesn't need much. I enjoy more spice and am still experimenting to find the...
This year I've started sharing dishes that are the go-to recipes in my repertoire. These are dishes that I've made more than once that not only pass my own tests but those of friends and family. Several years ago I found a recipe for Bacon...