Chicken Liver Pate with Wine and Cilantro -- aka Chicken Liver Mousse or "Terrine de Foie de Volaille"

I never really liked winter. Having lived in the north part of this country for over a decade, I see winter as this long season (usually six months) consisting of cold winds and short days (and horrible snow storms sometimes). ..Until I went to southern France, where you could have an outdoor Christmas market in December, drinking mulled wine and sampling foie gras. What fun! How delicious! Oh, I miss it terribly...

Well, mulled wine isn't that hard to make. In fact, we've been making it every winter now. Homemade foie gras though, is tough. I mean, unless you live in the center of a metropolitan city or live in the middle of nowhere on a farm, where can you lay your hands on some goose liver here in the states?

No worries, I've found a cure, namely the chicken liver pate -- "terrine de foie de volaille" if you will. It is just like foie gras, but a bit less fatty. Perhaps a little healthier as well? (Oh, did I mention it's Paleo compatible?)

Crunchy Cheese Straws with a Kick-- farewell to cohabitation

This would be the last concoction from the old loft -- the place where cohabitation existed, where there were once upon a time, 2 life to balance. It is coming to an end. I am still a bit sad about how it has concluded, but life goes on. Technically this should be the last post under the current blog name, but I am too preoccupied at the moment to open a new blog, so consider the rest of this blog a not-so-organic continuation, if you will.

I decided to make something a bit different, a savory snack that I have never attempted before.

(Addictive) Cured Arctic Char (Gravlax) -- how to cure fish (fast and cheap) at home

Do you like sashimi? Do you have trouble laying your hands on some sushi grade fish (which is quite common in small cities) like I do? Well, I have a solution for you. Actually I have several: from marinated sardine, to drunken crabs. Today, however, it is all about curing fish.

Toasted Sesame Hummus -- no tahini on-hand

Last weekend we had some friends over for boardgames, and I had the sudden craving for hummus -- the creamy, smooth, nutritious spread that is perfect on a piece of pita bread that you share with someone. But our pantry was not stocked with tahini. I mean, really, who can use a jar of tahini fast enough, ever? If you read my beer-nut butter recipe, then you probably won't be shocked that I am even too lazy to buy tahini, and this is what I settled with.

I have seen some really tasty food as the product of desperation. This hummus once again strengthened the case. 

the Simplest Homemade Peanut Butter -- the Beer-Nut Butter

Laziness often lead to the creations of something great. Why else do we appreciate the the remote control or a dish washer so much? Today, I may have just stumbled upon another great thing to have in your life (assuming you are not allergic to it): beer-nut butter!

Roasted Beet Pie with Blue Cheese & Caramelized Onions -- simple pie, big flavors

This is another savory pie for the 9th square pie contest. Again, the main ingredients are from the summer farmer's market behind Woosley Hall, courtesy to the Yale dining service. The bundle of beet roots with beet greens were $2.00/bundle. It was just impossible resist those beautiful beets, and as a result, we found ourselves eating beet salad, beet burgers, even beet cakes. And now, it's time for a glorious beet pie.

Open Face Chicken Naanwich -- leftovers are wonderful for lunch

I love dining out in summer time -- sitting out on a patio with a glass of white sangria or margarita. I also love the numerous barbecue parties -- blue cheese burgers, grilled steaks, corn on the cob, and of course, lots of beer. My point is, with the increasing dining options, I tend to cook formal meals less frequently in summer. Heating up the stove twice a day is just not that appealing somehow.

So when I do cook, I make more than enough for a meal, and rely on the leftovers for a while. Trust me, leftovers can be very tasty! Here is a lunch we have been having for lunch ever since I discovered the fun of making naan at home.

Homemade Naan Bread -- for dinner, lunch & BREAKFAST!

What do you think of when it comes to Indian cuisine? For me: aromatic spices, crispy veggies and tender meat, and NAAN!

I had always thought that naan would be unattainable without a clay oven, until I stumbled upon this. It seemed so simple that I ought to try it!

Secret Chocolate Birthday Cake -- shh...don't tell anyone

When it comes to birthday cake, I constantly find myself debating between lemon, chocolate, and coconut. Really, it is just too hard! In the end, chocolate wins 80% of the time, as it is rich, scrumptious, and very seductive.

It turns out that I am not alone! Not long ago, when my dear friend S wanted to make (for the first time) a birthday cake to surprise her boyfriend B, she opted for CHOCOLATE (black forest to be exact).

We had a practice run at my loft a week before the actual birthday (S is the best girlfriend one can have!), and since it was meant to be a surprise (and ok, I have been a bit lazy these days), here comes the delayed post.

Healthy Crispy Beef Sliders with Homemade Buns -- perfect for a summer picnic

I love everything that summer brings us -- the sun, the beach, music festivals, county fairs, vineyard trips, fruit picking, and picnics! The ladies from D's family is going to have a girls' night out tomorrow with some great poetry and delicious food. I have been so excited that I started the food preparation way far in advance.

In my opinion, no social gathering shall be complete without some good bread and cheese, and of course we need to make our own bread. 3 days before the event, I had to drag D for some groceries, most importantly -- flour. Between the D&D sessions and Game of Thrones parties, we ran through a whole 5 pound of flour within a week. Record usage within one day: three loaves of crusty bread + home-made pasta + Arya's lemon cake = 12 cups of flour/day! We also hulled home six packs of cheese, some greek yogurt, crab sticks, ground beef, and the regular salad stuff. I became immediately happy 5 hours after the grocery trip, because of these cute slider buns came out lovely.

Simple Stuffed Mushrooms with Minced Pork-- fancy dinner?

I know, I know -- it was Memorial Day yesterday, and I should have posted something about grilling. The fact is, we did have an awesome BBQ event in Wooster square: from a delicate salad with pomegranate to freshly baked bread to a 2 lb turkey drumstick to numerous hotdogs and hamburgers and kebabs to home-made  graham crackers and marshmallows among a gazillion awesome things. Unfortunately though, all of us were too busy consuming, and none of us took any foodie pictures!

So I'm here to talk about something else: stuffed mushrooms. Just slightly a different vibe, but I guarantee you'll like it!

Pig Roast with Old Friends!

Some friendships are meant to last -- you don't necessarily have to talk every day, but in the bottom of your hear, you know the bond is and always will be there. Last weekend we drove down to Dobbs Ferry, NY to visit a friend that we hadn't seen for 3 years, over an awesome pig roast!

It took us a while to get there (Friday traffic is always the worst), plus it took a long time for us to find a parking spot. We kept circulating a block down from the eatery, and the smell just made us salivating.

It was so nice to see L, J and their lovely lovely boy N. N is the first baby that D and I have ever held. I still remember how nervous we were since last time we saw him, he was still a tiny baby with a wobbly head -- we were so afraid of breaking him that we held our breath having him in our arms. I couldn't believe that he was a real boy, talking and singing and all that!

I ordered the swine and wine dinner, which includes a three-course dinner with a wine pairing for each. D opted for the hogs and hops (beer pairing) instead, and we were able to have the "full" experience both.

Chocolate Covered Matzo with Coconut Flakes, Dried Fruits and Seeds -- we are so ready for the passover party

We have awesome friends, J being one of them. Not only is he a master griller, a talented brewer, but also a great Jewfest thrower. (Yeah, also a big fan of making up funny words that conveys the meaning so well that I think some of those should be added into the dictionary.) For the Jewfest tomorrow, he let me help with the dessert. The instruction I received was "The dish I've generally made in the past is just taking maztah and covering it in melted chocolate then dried fruit or whatever else, etc...or if you have something else in mind I'm sure that's cool too." This is total trust I'm talking about, man. I'm was so excited to see the great opportunity to take a run with it.

I started with four sheets of Matzo, as an experiment. D had half of a sheet for dessert tonight, and thought it was pretty good. So happy it worked out. So I made more, but ran into a very practical problem quickly -- we were out of surface area! 

There Is No Cure for Veggie Fries -- this is more than just St. Patrick's

We are in a veggie fries frenzy. It started as we were experimenting with a healthy version of 50/50 fries a while back. The dish itself was simple -- oven baked fries consisting of 50% of potato and 50% of sweet potato. We would eat a whole tray during dinner, and another tray afterwards while watching certain Netflix shows.

It took 5 minutes to prepare but the enjoyment lasted hours. Eventually we asked ourselves, is potato & sweet potato really the limit? Of course not! We have had great success with carrot sticks, kale chips, asparagus, and many many more.

 Here is a snap shot of a version for St Patrick's Day. Did you notice the color semblance between the dish and the Irish flag?

(Warning!) Addictive One-step Green Hummus

I used to laugh at folks making a big scene about coffee addiction, until I started to get headaches in Asia without it. I realized I was having five mugs (not cups) of coffee a day, finding it soothing to have a cup of joe in my hand. I sort of sensed it was not a good thing but simply could not stop.  Finally, I decided to give it up for two weeks during Christmas break for a change. The first couple days were TOUGH. I was never aware how MUCH I was relying on those cup of dark liquids that pulled me through numerous papers and assignments in college, and warmed my spirit and soul through many winter days. I have given it up almost completely now, except for the occasional treat of a foamy cappuccino.

Last weekend, I found myself in the very same situation: I was UNABLE to stop eating the green hummus made for St. Patrick's Day gathering. Danger! Danger!! Lights started flashing. I was glad that our guests were willing to take some home, so that I was not exposed to long term seduction. Though on a second thought, it easy quite healthy and easy enough to make, so...

Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Catfish Nuggets -- One for You and Three for Me

It has been a very cold couple of weeks here in New England. My lips are cracked, hands are dry and everybody is coming down with some sort of cold. Last Wednesday I was not even motivated to cook dinner! The horror! Coming to the weekend I still felt not 100% back to normal, but somewhat regained some momentum. As a result, we were able to try some daring dishes again! Here's what we had for lunch yesterday: Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Catfish Nuggets. Yep, you heard me right. Not filled with the regular prawns, or the rarer shredded chicken. But catfish nuggets. And it was delicious! It was so good that instead of the intended two rolls/ person, I ate three without even thinking!

The choice for the filling was obvious and yet not entirely so.