Kimchi Udon with Scallions

This recipe is from Bon Appetit, saved here in case of link rot (with some modifications in the notes). It’s incredibly rich and creamy. Ingredients 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 1 cup finely chopped kimchi, plus ⅓ cup kimchi juice 2 tablespoons gochujang ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth 1 pound fresh udon noodles Kosher salt … Read more

Roma Tomato, Watermelon, and Nori Sesame Salad

Another Costco Business special. I bought a 25 lb case of Roma tomatoes and a pound of cilantro and then adapted this recipe to help use them up. Ingredients Dressing 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce 1.5 teaspoons oyster sauce 3 tablespoons … Read more

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

This is an amalgamation of a few recipes I found online that I wanted to remember. I simplified the ingredients (e.g. no carrots, no celery, no milk, no lemon, etc.) and cut out any fancy equipment (e.g. no pressure cooker, no dutch oven). Everything is browned to add flavor before it’s added to the soup. … Read more

Will it Quesadilla? Kimchi Fried Rice with Spam

Yes, it quesadillas! I bought a 30 pack of flour tortillas from regular Costco and a 5lb bag of shredded Mexican four cheese blend from business Costco. The only way to eat it all is to try to quesadilla everything. My wife asked me to recreate the kimchi fried rice with spam from Bear’s Ramen … Read more

Cumin Lamb

Terra Cotta Warrior is our benchmark for cumin lamb. It’s an excellent Shaanxi/Xi’an restaurant. It’s always packed and almost all of the patrons are Chinese (although the secret is out and non-Chinese people dot the crowd). This cumin lamb recipe from Lucky Peach Presents 101 Easy Asian Recipes tastes slightly different (cumin is more subtle, … Read more

Sichuan Pork Ragu

This recipe is from Lucky Peach Presents 101 Easy Asian Recipes, where it’s described as “This bastard love child of Bolognese and mapo tofu is a de-escalated and simplified version of a dish from Momofuku Ssam bar. You will Win Friends and Influence People by serving it in your home.” It’s as delicious as advertised. … Read more

Jook with Soy Sauce Egg

A lot has changed since my last post in Feb 2016. Although I no longer have time to spend on complex recipes, the current COVID-19 pandemic has created a renewed focus on cooking at home. Going forward, I’ll be posting recipes with a high deliciousness/effort ratio. Jook is an excuse to make soy sauce eggs. … Read more

How Much Does It Cost to Eat at The World’s Best 50 Restaurants?

World-class dining costs a lot, but there are some bargains to be had.  I collected tasting menu prices for the The World’s Best 50 Restaurants 2015 and plotted the data.  The best bang for your buck comes from making a tour of Latin America and Bangkok, Thailand. Mexico City, Mexico (#16 Pujol, #35 Quintonil, #37 Biko) Lima, … Read more

Dark Matter Coffee Bean Chocolate

ChefSteps has a unique recipe for dark matter: chocolate made with coffee beans instead of cocoa beans. After making the chocolate, I’d like to discuss three issues I encountered: Affordable Melanger You need a melanger to conche and refine the ingredients for dark matter into a silky smooth texture.  However, a chocolate melanger is too specialized … Read more