2014 Happy Chinese New Year!

2014 Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Lunar New Year! Kung Hei Fat Choi! For those of you who visited my blog recently and had difficulty with some of the links on my blog, I sincerely apologize! Most all of the links are fixed but I thank you for your patience while we work out all of the issues. Please don’t hesitate to browse the “Recipes” page for any dishes you might be interested in while we continue to work out the kinks. I had hoped to post this last...

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Gumbo

Gumbo

Yesterday was the first day in a very long time where Bebe and I didn’t have plans and we quietly enjoyed our solitude at home. After a very busy weekend and another broken household item, the slower pace was welcoming. Unfortunately, I’ve been on a bad luck streak and I’ve broken several things over the last week, including today. Has this ever happened to you? I first broke our vacuum cleaner. Usually hubs is the one who...

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Tomato Basil Soup, As Close to Nordies Cafe as I will Get

Tomato Basil Soup, As Close to Nordies Cafe as I will Get

  I can’t remember when my love affair with tomato basil soup began, but it’s been a long one at that. I’ve always had a soft spot for tomato basil soup, but it wasn’t until I tried the version at Nordstrom’s Cafe did I find “THE ONE”. Nordie’s tomato basil soup is creamy, tangy, savory, thick, and OH-so yummilicious! If you’ve never tried their tomato basil soup, you must drive over to a...

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Tonjiru (Traditional Japanese Pork Soup)

Tonjiru (Traditional Japanese Pork Soup)

  At times I get homesick for my Mom’s cooking. Despite our recent warmer weather, we had a slight cooling trend with a touch of June gloom which prompted a craving for tonjiru, or traditional Japanese pork soup. It’s a miso based soup and the ingredients might vary just slightly from one family to the next, but ours consistently includes carrots, onions, gobo (burdock root), konyaku (devil’s tongue root), and pork. Usually,...

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Potato Leek Soup

Potato Leek Soup

Perhaps you’ve noticed, perhaps you haven’t, but it’s been a challenge for me to get anything posted on my blog these days. Blame it on technology, too many things to do and not enough time, priorities, sleep deprivation, or sheer laziness. Whatever the case might be, tonight I’m motivated to share this soup recipe because it’s something I’ve made a few times over the last month and my family really enjoys...

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French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup

One of the EASIEST soups to make, EVER, is French onion soup. I’ve been making this soup for years, and it’s always been a favorite, but I admit that until recently I’ve always skipped the all important “baking-of-the-soup-in-the-oven-to-melt-a-thick-layer-of-cheesy-goodness-atop-a-crusty-slice-of-bread” step. It always turned out great, however, even without that last step. BUT, it turns out that it DOES taste...

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2013 Japanese New Years Feast: Osechi Ryori & Favorite Dishes

2013 Japanese New Years Feast: Osechi Ryori & Favorite Dishes

Although almost two weeks have passed since we feasted on both traditional Japanese Osechi Ryori (New Year’s food) and non-traditional Japanese cuisine favorites, I’m still basking in the memories of delicious food and great times spent with family and great friends.  (Photo Credit: Hideki Ueha) My New Year’s posts are always a favorite of mine as I enjoy memorializing all the delicious food from our Oshogatsu (Japanese New...

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Thanksgiving Menu Ideas 2012

Thanksgiving Menu Ideas 2012

Happy Thanksgiving! Today I’m sharing several of my family’s favorite dishes for Thanksgiving. I haven’t had a chance to post all of our dishes yet, but I’m slowly getting there year after year. I often serve soup for the first course, but family members sometime complain that eating soup makes them full, leaving less room for the turkey. To that I respond, just have a few bites of soup, not a bowl! :) Pumpkin...

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