Nook & Pantry Recipe Index

Recipe Index

2008-01-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

Appetizer & Starter
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
Buffalo Wings
Empanadas
Garlic Bread
Greek Meatballs
Gruyere Gougeres
Korean Pancake
Poached Egg with Sauteed Criminis and Pea Shoots
Roasted Red Pepper Sun-dried Tomato Tart
Tzatziki Sauce

Soups
Baked Potato Soup
Beef Stock
Caldo Verde - Portugese Kale and Sausage Soup
Chicken Stock
Chinese Ham and Vegetable Soup
Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup
Creamy Mushroom Soup with Sauteed Mushrooms
French Onion Soup
Shrimp and Corn Chowder
Wonton Soup

Stews
Super Bowl Chili
Carbonnade

Salad
Potato Salad
Spinach Salad
Strawberry and Blue Cheese Salad
Sun-dried Tomato and Olive Pesto Pasta Salad
Wilted Spinach Salad with Bacon and Oranges

Vegetables
Bok Choy Stir Fry
Chinese Daikon Cake
Creamy Cauliflower and Kielbasa
Daikon Fritter
Hunan Eggplant
Mizuna and Minced Chicken Stir Fry
Poached Egg with Sauteed Criminis and Pea Shoots
Potato Salad
Roasted Red Pepper and Sun-dried Tomato Tart
Green Bean Casserole
Sichuan Green Beans Stir Fry
Spaghetti Squash with Green Onions
Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Strawberry and Blue Cheese Salad
Stuffed Zucchinis
Tex Mex Stuffed Peppers
Tomato and Egg Stir Fry
Thyme Roasted Potatoes
Twice Baked Potatoes
Wilted Spinach Salad with Bacon and Oranges

Rice & Other Grains
Blue Cheese and Pistachio Risotto
Cai Fan - Chinese Vegetable Rice with Chinese Sausage
California Roll
Century Egg Congee
Fried Rice
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Jambalaya
Risotto Milanese
Sticky Rice Siu Mai
Sushi Rice
White Cheddar and Toasted Corn Grits

Pasta & Noodles
Campanelle with Italian Sausage, Broccoli and Sun-dried Tomatoes
Chinese Fried Noodles
Farfalle with Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese, and Artichoke Hearts
Fettuccine Alfredo
Gnocchi
Italian Sausage and Mozzerella Pasta Bake
Lasagna with Meat Sauce
Meaty Spaghetti Sauce
Pad Thai
Pasta Puttanesca
Fresh Pasta with Fava Beans, Prosciutto, and Shaved Parmesan
Shrimp Scampi
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Basil and Mushrooms
Sun-dried Tomato and Olive Pesto Pasta Salad
Tetrazzini (Chicken or Turkey)

Poultry
Chicken
BBQ Chicken Quesadilla
Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks
Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken
Chicken Adobo
Chicken Marsala
Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Provencal
Chicken Stock
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Jambalaya with Chicken and Shrimp
Mizuna and Minced Chicken Stir Fry
Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings with Thai Basil and Garlic
Tetrazzini (Chicken or Turkey)
Thai Red Curry Chicken

Duck
Chinese Style Roast Duck
Duck Confit

Pork
Chinese Barbecue Pork: Cha Shao/Char Siu
Chinese Barbecue Pork Pastry: Cha Shao Shu

Chinese Ham and Vegetable Soup
Chipotle-style Braised Pork Burritos
Creamy Cauliflower and Kielbasa
Ham and Butter Sandwich
Italian Sausage and Bell Pepper Pizza
Jambalaya with Chicken and Shrimp
Mapo Tofu
Picadillo (Pork or Beef)
Pork and Cabbage Potstickers
Pork, Chive, and Mushroom Stuffed Cake
Pork Katsu
Pork, Shrimp, and Shiitake Mushroom Potstickers
Red Cooked Pork Belly
Pulled Pork
Sausage Gravy
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Basil and Mushrooms
Steamed Pork and Shrimp Roll
Stuffed Zucchinis
Wonton Soup

Beef
Beef Stock
Beef Stroganoff
Carbonnade
French Onion Soup
Galbi
Greek Meatballs
Lasagna with Meat Sauce
Mapo Tofu
Meaty Spaghetti Sauce (with Beef)
Beef Enchiladas
Picadillo
Rib Eye Steak
Salami, Pastrami, Spinach, and Cream Cheese Sandwich
Super Bowl Chili
Tex Mex Stuffed Peppers
Thai-Style Chile Beef

Veal
Osso Buco

Lamb
Greek Meatballs

Seafood
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp and Cheesy Grits
Baked Salmon ala Mayonnaise
California Roll
Ceviche
Farfalle with Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese, and Artichoke Hearts
Fish Cake or Faux Crab Cake
Halibut Cheeks with Mashed Yukon Golds
Honey Walnut Prawns
Jambalaya
Kampachi Sashimi and Nigiri
Kung Pao Shrimp
Low and Slow Salmon
My Family's Shrimp Stir Fry
Pork, Shrimp, and Shiitake Mushroom Potstickers
Seared Kampachi with Ponzu Sauce
Seared Scallop with Yuzu Ginger Glaze
Shrimp and Corn Chowder
Shrimp and Edamame Dumplings
Shrimp and Edamame Stir Fry with Basil
Shrimp Scampi
Steamed Pork and Shrimp Roll
Unagi Sushi Rice Bowl

Tofu
Century Egg Tofu
Mapo Tofu

Egg
Century Egg Congee
Century Egg Tofu
Egg Dumpling
Poached Egg with Sauteed Criminis and Pea Shoots
Tea Leaf Egg
Tomato and Egg Stir Fry
Truffled Scrambled Eggs

Breakfast & Brunch
Almond Poppy Seed Muffin
Banana Bread
Blackberry Muffins
Brioche (Honey Lavender)
Buttermilk Pancakes
Buttermilk Waffles
Cinnamon Buns
French Toast (Brioche Stuffed with Nutella)
Maple Dijon Glazed Bacon
Pecan Sticky Buns
Pecan Sticky Buns version 2.0
Pumpkin Muffin
Poached Egg with Sauteed Criminis and Pea Shoots
Raspberry Muffin with Brown Sugar Hazelnut Streusel
Truffled Scrambled Eggs

Dim Sum, Chinese Breakfast, Brunch, and Snacks
Chinese Barbeque Pork Pastry - Cha Shao Su
Century Egg Congee - Pi Dan Zhou
Daikon Cake - Luo Buo Gao
Green Onion Pancake - Cong You Bing
Pork and Cabbage Potstickers - Guo Tie
Pork, Shrimp, and Shiitake Mushroom Potstickers
Shrimp and Edamame Dumplings - Xia Jiao
Sticky Rice Siu Mai - Nuo Mi Shao Mai
Tea Leaf Egg - Cha Ye Dan

Sandwich
Ham and Butter Sandwich
Reuben
Pate and Cornichon Sandwich
Salami, Pastrami, Spinach, and Cream Cheese Sandwich

Sauce & Dressing
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Blue Cheese Dressing
Guacamole
Miso Dressing
Quick Mushroom Sauce
Roasted Red Pepper and Chipotle Butter
Tzatziki Sauce

The Bakery

Yeast Breads
Bagel
Brioche (Honey Lavender)
Cinnamon Buns
French Bread
No Knead Pizza Dough
Pecan Sticky Buns
Pecan Sticky Buns version 2.0
Pizza
Pissaladiere

Quick Breads: Biscuits, Muffins, Coffeecakes
Almond Poppy Seed Muffin
Banana Bread
Blackberry Muffins
Cream Scones
Flaky Buttermilk Biscuit and Sausage Gravy
Irish Soda Bread
Mile High Buttermilk Biscuit
Pumpkin Muffin
Raspberry Muffin with Brown Sugar Hazelnut Streusel

Savory Baked Goods
Cha Shao Shu
Empanadas (with Picadillo)
Gruyere Gougeres
Roasted Red Pepper and Sun-dried Tomato Tart

Cookies, Bars, & Brownies
Alfajores
Best Oatmeal Cookies Ever: Dried Cherries, Chocolate Chunks, and Pecans
Brown Sugar Cookie
Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich
Butterfinger Chocolate Chip Cookie
Butterscotch Cookies
Flaky Black Sesame Cookies
Gingerbread
Green Tea Cheesecake Swirl White Chocolate Brownies
Linzer Cookies
Nutella Brownie
Orange Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
Pumpkin Butter Thumbprints
Rugelach
Shortbread Bars with Mango Jam
Strawberry Swirl Lemon Bars
Tiramisu Brownie
Torta Sbrisolona
White Chocolate Cashew Macadmia Butter Cookies

Cakes: Cakes, Cupcakes, Cheesecakes
Almond Tea Cake
Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake
Bostini Cream Pie
Carrot Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Cheesecake Pops
Dorie's Perfect Party Cake
Green Tea White Chocolate Opera Cake
Hidden Berry Cheesecake
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
Plum Cake
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Strawberry Mirror Cake
Yule Log: Yellow Genoise with Nutella Filling and Coffee Buttercream

Fruit Desserts: Pies, Tarts, Crumbles
Cherry Clafouti
Chocolate and Caramel Tart
French Pear and Almond Tart
Graham Cracker Crust
Honey Pastry Cream
Lemon Cream Tart
Lemon Meringue Pie
Linzer Torte
Mango and Lime Curd Tart
Pate Sucree (Flaky version)
Strawberry and Honey Cream Tart
Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Swirl Lemon Bars

Cream Desserts: Ice Creams, Custards, Puddings
Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich
Coffee Ice Cream
Creme Brulee
Green Tea Ice Cream
Tiramisu Brownie
Tiramisu Ice Cream

Confections
Green Tea Truffles

Return to Top

Out & About in Seattle

2007-04-24T15:02:00.001-07:00

Pike Place Market
   Jack's Fish and Chip Spot
   Daily Dozen Doughnuts Company

Meme: Favorite Places to Eat in Seattle
   Le Fournil
   Campange
   Mirak
   Thai Tom

25 for $25
   The Oceanaire Seafood Room

25 for $25
   Sazerac
   Campange

Books & Cookbooks

2007-04-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

Heat by Bill Buford

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

The Complete Keller: The French Laundry and Bouchon by Thomas Keller; The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

How To Guides

2007-04-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some how-to-guides and helpful cooking and baking tips I've picked up.

Blanching Almonds

Cast Iron Care Guide

Easiest Way to Cut Up a Bell Pepper

Making an Easy Vinaigrette

Cutting Up A Whole Chicken

Making Beef Stock

Making Chicken Stock

Making Pastry Crusts
Flaky Pate Sucree

Making Sushi Rice

Poached Egg Trick

Equipment

2007-04-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

Product Recommendations
   Nonstick skillet - Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Skillet
   Knife block - Kapoosh Universal Knife Block
   Ice cream maker - Cuisinart ICE-20 Ice Cream Maker
   Chef's Knife - 8 in Forschner Chef's Knife

10 in cast iron skillet

Zyliss garlic press

The Pantry

2007-04-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

The pantry is the place where we keep our food - everything from cooking staples to snacks for those midnight munchies. It may be as small as a 1 shelf bookcase or as expansive as a walk-in-closet. The pantry is not only limited to this space where we keep our dried ingredients but also includes the spice drawer/rack, the sauce cupboard, the fridge and freezer, and basically everything we eat or use to cook our meals and everywhere that we keep them.

Before I started cooking, our pantry was a 1 shelf bookcase that held the basic college staples: ramen, canned soups, Hamburger Helper (for when we felt really adventurous and wanted to make something). Once I started cooking, these processed and premade foods slowly disappeared and were replaced by more and more ingredients. After a well needed pantry upgrade, it's now bigger and better and includes an ever growing amount of spices, 14 different kinds and shapes of noodles, 7 different types of flours, well, you get the idea.

My Pantry Series:

The Chinese Pantry
Part I: What You Need to Cook Your Food - Sauces, Condiments, and Aromatics

more coming soon

The Asian Pantry

The Baking Pantry

The Everyday Pantry

Pantry Spotlight Ingredients

Almond Extract

Century Egg

Dried Shrimp

Cream of Mushroom Soup

White Truffle Oil

Poultry

2007-04-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

Chicken
Breast
Chicken Marsala
Chicken Parmesan
Mizuna and Minced Chicken Stir Fry

Drumstick & Thighs
Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks
Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken
Chicken Adobo
Chicken Provencal
Jambalaya with Chicken and Shrimp
Thai Red Curry Chicken

Whole
Hainanese Chicken Rice

Wings
Buffalo Wings
Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings with Thai Basil and Garlic

Leftover
BBQ Chicken Quesadilla
Chicken Tetrazzini

Other
Chicken Stock

Duck
Chinese Style Roast Duck
Duck Confit

Pork

2007-04-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

Belly
Red Cooked Pork Belly

Chops
Pork Katsu

Pork Butt (Shoulder) and Country Style Ribs
Cha Shao/Char Siu
Cha Shao Shu
Chipotle-style Braised Pork Burritos
Pulled Pork

Ground
Mapo Tofu
Picadillo (Pork or Beef)
Pork and Cabbage Potstickers
Pork, Shrimp, and Shiitake Mushroom Potstickers
Steamed Pork and Shrimp Roll
Wonton Soup

Ham and Cured Meats
Chinese Ham and Vegetable Soup
Ham and Butter Sandwich
Salami, Pastrami, Spinach, and Cream Cheese Sandwich

Sausage
Creamy Cauliflower and Kielbasa
Jambalaya with Chicken and Shrimp
Italian Sausage and Bell Pepper Pizza
Sausage Gravy
Stuffed Zucchinis

Beef, Veal, & Lamb

2007-04-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

Beef
Chuck & Blade Cuts
Beef Stroganoff
Carbonnade

Ground
Beef Enchiladas
Greek Meatballs
Lasagna with Meat Sauce
Meaty Spaghetti Sauce
Picadillo (Pork or Beef)
Super Bowl Chili
Tex Mex Stuffed Peppers

Ribs (and Oxtails)
Beef Stock
French Onion Soup

Shortrib/Sparerib
Galbi

Steak
Rib Eye Steak

Cured Meats
Salami, Pastrami, Spinach, and Cream Cheese Sandwich

Veal
Osso Buco

Lamb
Ground
Greek Meatballs

Seafood

2007-04-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

Fish
Baked Salmon ala Mayonnaise
Ceviche
Farfalle with Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese, and Artichoke Hearts
Fish Cake
Halibut Cheeks with Mashed Yukon Golds
Kampachi Sashimi and Nigiri
Low and Slow Salmon
Miso Fish
Seared Kampachi with Ponzu Sauce
Unagi Sushi Rice Bowl

Shrimp
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp and Cheesy Grits
Honey Walnut Prawns
Jambalaya with Chicken and Shrimp
Kung Pao Shrimp
My Family's Shrimp Stir Fry
Shrimp and Corn Chowder
Shrimp and Edamame Dumplings
Shrimp and Edamame Stir Fry with Basil
Shrimp Scampi
Steamed Pork and Shrimp Roll

Other Seafood
California Roll
Seared Scallop with Yuzu Ginger Glaze

Tofu

2007-04-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

Century Egg Tofu
Mapo Tofu

Egg

2007-04-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

Egg
Egg Dumpling
Poached Egg with Crimini Mushrooms and Pea Shoots
Tea Leaf Egg
Tomato and Egg Stir Fry
Truffled Scrambled Eggs

Preserved Egg
Century Egg Congee
Century Egg Tofu

Pasta, Rice, & Other Grains

2007-04-08T12:29:00.000-07:00

Pasta & Noodles
Campanelle with Italian Sausage, Broccoli and Sun-dried Tomatoes
Chinese Fried Noodles
Farfalle with Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese, and Artichoke Hearts
Fettuccine Alfredo
Fresh Pasta with Fava Beans, Prosciutto, and Shaved Parmesan
Gnocchi
Italian Sausage and Mozzarella Pasta Bake
Lasagna with Meat Sauce
Meaty Spaghetti Sauce (with Beef)
Pad Thai
Pasta Puttanesca
Shrimp Scampi
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Basil and Mushrooms
Sun-dried Tomato and Olive Pesto Pasta Salad
Tetrazzini (Chicken or Turkey)

Rice
Blue Cheese and Pistachio Risotto
Cai Fan - Chinese Vegetable Rice with Chinese Sausage
California Roll
Century Egg Congee
Fried Rice
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Jambalaya
Risotto Milanese
Sticky Rice Siu Mai
Sushi Rice

Grains
White Cheddar and Toasted Corn Grits

Vegetable

2007-04-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

Bell Pepper
Roasted Red Pepper Sun-dried Tomato Tart
Tex Mex Stuffed Peppers

Bok Choy
Bok Choy Stir Fry

Cauliflower
Creamy Cauliflower and Kielbasa

Daikon
Daikon Cake (Chinese)
Daikon Fritter

Green Beans
Green Bean Casserole
Sichuan Green Beans Stir Fry

Eggplant
Hunan Eggplant

Mizuna
Mizuna and Minced Chicken Stir Fry

Mushroom
Creamy Mushroom Soup with Sauteed Mushrooms

Onion
French Onion Soup

Pea
Poached Egg with Sauteed Criminis and Pea Shoots

Potato
Baked Potato Soup
Potato Salad
Thyme Roasted Potatoes
Twice Baked Potatoes

Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti Squash with Green Onions

Spinach
Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Strawberry and Blue Cheese Salad
Wilted Spinach Salad with Bacon and Oranges

Tomato (considered a veggie for this index)
Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup
Roasted Red Pepper Sun-dried Tomato Tart
Tomato and Egg Stir Fry

Zucchini
Stuffed Zucchinis

Bakery & Desserts

2007-04-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

Yeast Breads
   Bagel
   Brioche (Honey Lavender)
   Pecan Sticky Buns

Pizzas
   Pizza
   - Pizza Dough
   - Thin and Crispy Pizza Dough
   - Quick Tomato Sauce
   - Italian Sausage and Bell Pepper Pizza
   Pissaladiere

Quick Breads
   Banana Bread
   Mile High Buttermilk Biscuit

Savory Baked Goods
   Cha Shao Shu
   Empanadas (with Picadillo)
   Gruyere Gougeres
   Roasted Red Pepper and Sun-dried Tomato Tart

Cookies, Brownies, & Bars
   Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich
   Green Tea Cheesecake Swirl White Chocolate Brownies
   Lemon Bars (with Strawberry)
   Nutella Brownie

Cakes & Muffins

Fruit-based Desserts (Pies and Tarts)
   Cherry Clafouti
   Mango and Lime Curd Tart
   Pate Sucree(Flaky)

Cream-based Desserts (Ice Creams etc.)
   Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich
   Coffee Ice Cream
   Green Tea Ice Cream

Candies & Other Sweets
   Green Tea Truffles

Breakfast & Brunch

2007-04-05T13:46:00.000-07:00

Breads and Muffins
Almond Poppy Seed Muffin
Banana Bread
Blackberry Muffins
Cinnamon Buns
Honey Lavendar Brioche
Pecan Sticky Buns
Pecan Sticky Buns version 2.0
Pumpkin Muffin
Raspberry Muffin with Brown Sugar Hazelnut Streusel

Pancakes, Waffles, etc.
Buttermilk Pancakes
Buttermilk Waffles
French Toast (with Brioche bread and stuffed with Nutella)

Egg and more
Maple Dijon Glazed Bacon
Poached Egg with Sauteed Criminis and Pea Shoots
Truffled Scrambled Eggs

Dimsum & Other Chinese Breakfast, Brunch, Snack Fare

2007-04-04T23:30:00.000-07:00

Buns (Bao), Pastries (Su Bing), & Cakes/Pancakes (Bing)
Chinese Barbeque Pork Pastry - Cha Shao Su
Green Onion Pancake - Cong You Bing
Pork, Chive, and Mushroom Stuffed Cake - Jiu Cai Rou Bing

Dumplings: Jiao Zi & Shao Mai
Pork and Cabbage Potstickers - Guo Tie
Pork, Shrimp, and Shiitake Mushroom Potstickers
Shrimp and Edamame Dumplings - Xia Jiao
Sticky Rice Siu Mai - Nuo Mi Shao Mai

Other
Century Egg Congee - Pi Dan Zhou
Daikon Cake - Luo Buo Gao
Tea Leaf Egg - Cha Ye Dan

Appetizers & Starts

2007-04-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

Daikon Fritters
Fish Cake
Garlic Bread or Faux Crab Cake
Greek Meatballs
Gruyere Gougeres
Korean Pancake
Poached Egg with Sauteed Criminis and Pea Shoots
Roasted Red Pepper and Sun-dried Tomato Tart
Tzatziki Sauce

Soups & Stews

2007-04-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

Stocks
Beef Stock
Chicken Stock

Soups
Baked Potato Soup
Caldo Verde - Portugese Kale and Sausage Soup
Chinese Ham and Vegetable Soup
Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup
Creamy Mushroom Soup with Sauteed Mushrooms
French Onion Soup
Shrimp and Corn Chowder
Wonton Soup

Stews
Carbonnade
Super Bowl Chili

Salads

2007-04-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

Leafy Greens
Spinach Salad
Strawberry and Blue Cheese Salad
Wilted Spinach Salad with Bacon and Oranges

Other
Potato Salad
Sun-dried Tomato and Olive Pesto Pasta Salad

Sandwiches

2007-04-01T23:00:00.000-07:00

Cold
Ham and Butter Sandwich
Pate and Cornichon Sandwich
Salami, Pastrami, Spinach, and Cream Cheese Sandwich

Hot
Reuben

Dips, Dressings, & Other Sauces

2007-04-01T22:48:00.000-07:00

Dips
Guacamole
Tzatziki Sauce

Dressing
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Blue Cheese Dressing
Miso Dressing

Sauces
Quick Mushroom Sauce/Gravy
Roasted Red Pepper and Chipotle Butter

Pastries, Desserts, & Candies

2007-03-31T15:52:00.000-07:00

Pastries
Crusts
Flaky Pate Sucree
Graham Cracker Crust

Fillings
Honey Pastry Cream
Lemon Cream
Lime Curd

Tarts
Chocolate and Caramel Tart
French Pear and Almond Tart
Lemon Cream/Curd Tart
Mango and Lime Curd Tart
Linzer Torte
Strawberry and Honey Cream Tart

Fruity Desserts
Cherry Clafouti
Lemon Meringue Pie
Strawberry Shortcake

Creamy Desserts
Creme Brulee
Tiramisu Brownie

Ice Creams
Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich
Coffee Ice Cream
Green Tea Ice Cream
Tiramisu Ice Cream

Candies & More Sweets
Green Tea Truffles

Cakes

2007-03-31T15:50:00.000-07:00

Cakes
Almond Tea Cake
Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake
Bostini Cream Pie
Carrot Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Dorie's Perfect Party Cake
Green Tea White Chocolate Opera Cake
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
Plum Cake
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Strawberry Mirror Cake
Yule Log: Yellow Genoise with Nutella Filling and Coffee Buttercream

Cheesecakes
Cheesecake Pops
Hidden Berry Cheesecake

Cookies, Brownies, & Bars

2007-03-31T15:49:00.000-07:00

Cookies
Alfajores
Best Oatmeal Cookies Ever: Dried Cherries, Chocolate Chunks, and Pecans
Brown Sugar Cookie
Butterfinger Chocolate Chip Cookie
Butterscotch Cookies
Flaky Black Sesame Cookies
Gingerbread
Linzer Cookies
Orange Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
Pumpkin Butter Thumbprints
Rugelach
Shortbread Bars with Mango Jam
Torta Sbrisolona
White Chocolate Cashew Macadmia Butter Cookies

Brownies
Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich
Green Tea Cheesecake Swirl White Chocolate Brownies
Nutella Brownie
Tiramisu Brownie

Bars
Strawberry Swirl Lemon Bars

Savory Baked Goods

2007-03-31T15:48:00.000-07:00

Pastries
Chinese Barbecue Pork Pastries: Cha Shao Shu
Empanadas
Gruyere Gougeres

Savory Tarts
Roasted Red Pepper and Sun-dried Tomato Tart

Yeast Breads

2007-03-31T15:41:00.001-07:00

Yeast Breads
Bagel
Brioche (Honey Lavender)
Cinnamon Buns
French Bread
Pecan Sticky Buns
Pecan Sticky Buns version 2.0

Pizzas
No Knead Pizza Dough
Pizza
   - Pizza Dough
   - Thin and Crispy Pizza Dough
   - Quick Tomato Sauce
   - Italian Sausage and Bell Pepper Pizza
Pissaladiere

Quick Breads: Biscuits, Muffins, Coffeecakes

2007-03-31T15:41:00.000-07:00

Quick Breads
Banana Bread
Irish Soda Bread

Biscuits & Scones
Cream Scones
Flaky Buttermilk Biscuit
Mile High Buttermilk Biscuit

Muffins
Almond Poppy Seed
Blackberry Muffins
Pumpkin Muffin
Raspberry and Hazelnut Streusel

Links

2007-03-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

Seattle Food Blogs
Cook & Eat
Cookie Baker Lynn
Gluten Free Girl
Live to Eat
Orangette
Seattle Bon Vivant
Talk of Tomatoes
Tasting Menu

Food Blogs Around the World

101 Cookbooks
Andrea's Recipes
Baking and Books
Chez Pim
Chocolate & Zucchini
Chubby Hubby
Cream Puffs in Venice
Culinary Concoctions
David Lebovitz
Dessert First
Delicious Days
Dine and Dish
Eat Drink Live
Hooked on Heat
Hot.Sour.Salty.Sweet. and Umami
Food Blogga
Food Lover's Journey
Jaden's Steamy Kitchen
Jumbo Empanadas
Kalyn's Kitchen
Kitchen Unplugged
Kuiadore
La Tartine Gourmande
Lucullian Delights

Matt Bites
Milk and Cookies
Nordljus
Passionate Eater
The Perfect Pantry
Rasa Malaysia
riceandnoodles
Simply Recipes
Smitten Kitchen
Tartelette
Technicolor Kitchen
Teczcape
The Cooking Ninja
The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Traveler's Lunchbox
use real butter
Veronica's Test Kitchen
Wandering Chopsticks
What's For Lunch Honey
Wok and Spoon

Foodie Sites
Culinate
Leite's Culinaria
Serious Eats
Slashfood
Tastespotting
Well Fed Network

Food Blogging Resources
Is My Blog Burning?
Food Blog S'cool

Food Photography
101 Cookbooks: Food Photography Tips
Matt Bites: Notes About Photography
La Tartine Gourmande: Styling and Photographing Food
Still Life With
Simply Recipes: Photography
Chocolate & Zucchini: Food Photography

Cooking & Recipe Resources
America's Test Kitchen
Cook's Illustrated
The Cook's Thesaurus
Epicurious
Food & Wine
Food Network

Seattle Dining
NWsource Food & Drink
Seattle Times Food & Wine
Urbanspoon Seattle

101 Things I Want to Cook This Summer

2007-03-06T19:02:00.000-08:00

When people ask me if I have any plans this summer, I know they're expecting me to say something grandiose like "Oh I'll be backpacking through Europe or Southeast Asia." But when I tell people I plan to cook, they look at me as if I need to say something more. Don't get me wrong, I do have a few vacations in mind, but the biggest thing on my to-do list is to cook, a lot. Every time I cook something new, it gives me a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. So I thought, why not dedicate my whole summer to cooking new things! I'll make dishes I’ve always wanted to try, use ingredients I’ve never worked with before, and conquer some of my greatest fears in the kitchen. I don't expect everything to turn out perfectly, because after all, cooking is all about trial and error. There will probably be something that doesn't taste quite like I expected or maybe even a few singed hairs after a flambé. As for the worst thing that can happen? Let's not think about that because dear lord, I hope I don’t get botulism (my biggest kitchen fear) from my home fermented kimchi. Speaking of which, anyone want to hold my hand as I make this?

I have a spiral notebook where I jot down my ideas and brainstorm about dishes I want to make, that has been with me ever since I started blogging. As I flipped through the stained and tattered pages scribbled with my seriously crappy handwriting (I swear what they say about doctors and their handwriting is true), I saw all the dishes I haven’t made, ideas unfulfilled, flavor combinations untasted. I began to compile everything unfinished from those lists into one, and then I added some more ideas, and then some more. I could go on and on and easily approach 200 items, but let's face it, this list has to be realistic. There are only 180 days left before classes start and once you factor in the vacations, moving, and orientation, that's only about 100 or so days. So I decided on 101.

I bet you’re all thinking I’m out of my mind. Yes, probably, but I signed up for med school didn’t I? And you're betting that I'm never going to finish everything on this list. Again, yes, probably not, but I sure hope I do. Of course the ultimate goal is to finish everything on this list but the underlying purpose of this ridiculously ambitious project is to go out of my comfort zone and try things I've never tried before or have been intimidated by. It will be an incredible learning experience, one that I'll look back on for a long time and I bet it'll be tremendously fun! When my future classmates ask me "so what did you do during summer?" I want to be able to say "Oh I paid $40 for an ounce of ham, made my own yogurt, and some other stuff." And someday, when I'm buried underneath my books, I want to be able to take a moment and think back to the Saturday I spent making croissants and remember the feel of the dough in my hands, the smell of butter permeating every inch of the house as they bake in the oven, the sound of the shatteringly crisp crust, how the seemingly infinite number of layers soak up hot chocolate just right, and just how friggin awesome homemade croissants taste.

So let's get started shall we?

The Top 5 Must Cook
When I asked myself, what are the five things that I absolutely must make before I start school again, I came up with this list. The items on this list are either time consuming, intimidating, challenging, or all of the above! Who knows when I’ll have a entire day to devote to making just one food item again, so it's now or never!

1. Macarons
2. Puff pastry
3. Croissants
4. Xiao long bao (little soup buns)
5. ~~Caramel~~

Dishes I've always wanted to make
This list includes all of those dishes in my notebook I never got a chance to make.

Savory
6. Thomas Keller's Roast Chicken
7. Jerk chicken
8. ~~Duck confit~~
9. Pork belly confit
10. Homemade bacon
11. ~~Bun cha~~
12. Bulgogi
13. Korean BBQ Burger
14. ~~Osso Buco~~
15. ~~Yang rou chuan (Chinese lamb kebabs)~~
16. Gyro meat
17. Kebabs
18. Fish burger
19. Gravlax
20. ~~Ceviche~~
21. Bibimbap
22. Dashi

Oodles of Noodles
23. ~~Pho~~
24. Udon noodles
25. Ramen noodles
26. ~~Ravioli~~
27. Tortellini
28. ~~Fettuccine alfredo~~
29. Lasagne with fresh noodles
30. Marcella Hazan's Bolognese with fresh pappardelle
31. Spaetzle

32. Persian sour cherry saffron rice
33. Something from The French Laundry Cookbook

Baked Goods and Sweets
34. Granola
35. ~~Scones~~

Rise and shine
36. ~~French bread~~
37. ~~Foccacia~~
38. Ciabatta
39. Challah
40. Sandwich bread
41. Pretzels
42. Baked donuts

Piece of cake
43. ~~White layer cake~~
44. Angel food cake
45. Pound cake
46. ~~Olive oil cake~~
47. Crepe cake
48. Boston cream pie
49. ~~Strawberry shortcake~~
50. Madeleines

Fruity tooty
51. Apple pie
52. Crumble
53. Cobbler
54. ~~Linzertorte~~

Creamy trio
55. Panna cotta
56. Creme caramel
57. ~~Creme brulee~~

Pastry Shop
58. Sfogliatelle
59. Paris brest
60. Palmiers
61. Chinese pastries (tai yan bing, lao po bing) and 62. buns

I want candy
63. ~~Candied orange peel~~
64. Candied ginger
65. Candied lavender

And more...
66. Coconut macaroon
67. Green tea tiramisu
68. Tapioca pudding
69. ~~Dulce de leche from milk~~

Ingredients I've never cooked with before
I have to admit, my culinary repertoire is pretty limited. There are so many things I've never cooked with before or ingredients I had never even heard of, quinces for example, until after I started blogging. Food bloggers are an amazing bunch because they're so in tuned with seasonality. So for many of the ingredients on this list, my ability to cook with them is dependent on their availablilty. I doubt I will be able to get my hands on a quince until, at the earliest, late summer.

70. ~~Scallops~~
71. ~~Clams~~
72. Mussels
73. Octopus or squid
74. ~~Halibut cheeks~~
75. Cornish game hens
76. ~~Saffron~~
77. Meyer lemon
78. ~~Blood orange~~
79. Currants
80. Quince
81. ~~Sunchokes~~
82. Phyllo
83. Quinoa

Things I've screwed up in the past that I want to try again
84. ~~Buttercream frosting~~
85. Fresh potsticker wrappers
86. Cha shao bao (steamed Chinese BBQ pork buns)
87. Glutinous rice balls (mochi)
88. Cucumber melon sorbet

Things I've been too scared to try
I'm scared of deep frying and I'm absolutely terrified of botulism but I won't let my fears stop me from making fried chicken, kimchi, and yogurt this summer.

89. Flambe
90. Deep frying
91. Fermenting
92. Inoculating

Cool things I want to try
I have the vodka and the beans, so I need to put the two together to make vanilla extract. I'm going to splurge for real balsamic vinegar, the really good, really expensive, authentically aged stuff that's as thick as a syrup. I'll be shelling out the big bucks for the prized Jamon Iberico, expensive? Yes. But still cheaper than a plane ticket to Europe, that's for sure.

93. ~~Homemade vanilla extract~~
94. Bacon vodka
95. Homemade ricotta
96. ~~Real balsamic vinegar~~
97. Jamon Iberico
98. ~~Nigiri and sashimi (preparing it at home)~~

Food combos I still need to try
I really need to see what the big deal is about with these food combos because frankly, they sound a little weird in my head (strawberries and vinegar? what happened to good old fashioned whipped cream?) but hey, don't knock it till you try it right?

99. Prosciutto and melon
100. Baked figs with cheese
101. Strawberries and balsamic

29/101

Out and About in Seattle

2007-02-15T19:30:00.000-08:00

Seattle is a great city if you love food. It boasts some of the country's best and freshest seafood, fabulous farmers markets, diverse restaurants offering everything from sushi to Mediterranean, and great stores (Delaurenti's), products (Salumi), and events (cheese festival).

Out and About
Annual Cheese Festival
May 2007

Trips to Pike Place Market
Daily Dozen Donut
Daily Dozen Donut, Jack's Fish and Chip Spot, Delaurenti's, World Spice Merchants

Dining Out
Steven and I rarely dine out (we're poor students, what can we say?). But here is a list of our favorite places and some reviews I did in the past.

Our Faves
My Five Favorite Places in Seattle

Dining Events:
25 for $25 every March and November (now 30 for $30)
We don't go out for this deal anymore but here are some reviews from a while back when we did.
The Oceanaire Seafood Room: March 07
Sazerac: Nov 06

Twenty Buck Duck: 2 course duck dinner at Campagne during the month of January
Campagne: Jan 07

The Pantry

2007-02-15T01:58:00.000-08:00

My Pantry Series:

The Chinese Pantry
Part I: What You Need to Cook Your Food - Sauces, Condiments, and Aromatics

more coming soon

The Asian Pantry

The Baking Pantry

The Everyday Pantry

Pantry Spotlight Ingredients

Almond Extract

Century Egg

Dried Shrimp

Cream of Mushroom Soup

White Truffle Oil

Yuzu/Citron Spread

On the Nook Bookshelf

2007-02-15T01:55:00.000-08:00

Cookbooks can be divided into categories. There are all purpose cookbooks that contain recipes for just about everything and books that specialize in one type of cuisines. The baking cookbooks can be general or focused on just one topic like breads or pastries. The food porn books are the ones that you may rarely cook out of, but they just look too damn good to pass up. Occasionally, there are cookbooks on a niche subject such as ice cream or charcuterie. Finally, the resource books may not contain recipes but they are a great reference for proper cooking technique and food science. These categories are not always mutually exclusive but they are a good starting point in sorting the sheer number of cookbooks out there.

When I first started this blog, I owned just three cookbooks.

Butter Sugar Flour Eggs by Gale Gand
When I was younger I loved watching Gale Gand's show, Sweet Dreams, on the Food Network. I asked Steven to buy me this book for Christmas all the way back in 2004, and it was my very first cookbook.

The New Best Recipes by Cook's Illustrated
This was my first official cookbook that was not a baking book. This giant 1000 page tome is my go-to cookbook. The way Cook's Illustrated scientifically test recipes, products, and equipment appeals to my nerdy inner scientist. You know you can trust these recipes since they have all been tested. Overall, this is a great all purpose cookbook.

Martha's Baking Handbook by Martha Stewart
I just couldn't resist all the beautiful photos in this book. There's a wonderful variety of recipes but I have not used it as often as Dorie's Baking.

Now see how my collection has grown.

Cooking

Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan
This is the compilation of her two incredibly popular books, The Classic Italian Cookbook and More Classic Italian Cooking. This is the best resource of pure, authentic Italian cooking.

Mastering The Art of French Cooking Vol 1 by Julia Child
Julia Child went to great lengths to make French cooking accessible for the home cook and this is possibly the best book about French cooking out there.

Baking

Baking by Dorie Greenspan
This is the unofficial cookbook of the Daring Bakers. All of Dorie's recipes are always easy to follow and turn out spectacular. She makes everything accessible for the home baker, from the simple muffins and biscuits to elegant custards and tarts. One of the very best baking books out there.

Resources

On Food and Cooking by Harold Mcgee
This is THE book on food and cooking science and it's a resource everyone should have. It's a book that will always answer your questions and is packed with more information about food than you will ever need to know, this is undoubtedly the textbook for food science. The book is a combination of food and cooking history, biology, and organic chemistry and for the first time it made organic chemistry (one of my most hated subjects in college) interesting !

Food Porn

The Complete Keller: The French Laundry Cookbook & Bouchon

The French Laundry by Thomas Keller
Back when Steven and I were first dating, I remember he showed me the copy of The French Laundry cookbook he had borrowed from the library. At the time I wasn't really interested in what he called food porn but eventually he would pass the love of gorgeous food to me. He got me The Complete Keller set for my 20th birthday.

Bouchon by Thomas Keller
The French Laundry cookbook is absolutely beautiful to look at but the recipes in Bouchon are a little more accessible for the home cook.

Niche

The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
The best book for all things frozen.

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Books for the Foodies
These aren't cookbooks but they're food related books that I've enjoyed reading.

Food and Foodie History

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Where does our food really come from? The real story about our produce, poultry, and beef. Review

The United States of Arugula by David Kamp
The story of how food and eating changed in America. How did we become the Food Network watching, organic produce buying, baby salad green eating, balsamic drizzling country that we did?

The Food Snob's Dictionary by David Kamp
Do you know the difference between romesco and romanesco?

Memoirs

My Life in France by Julia Child
Julia Child's memoirs about her time in France, from her first meal of sole meuniere, her first classes at Le Cordon Bleu, to the years she spent writing Mastering.

Heat by Bill Buford
The story of how an ordinary home cook becomes a kitchen slave, line cook, and then pasta maker for Mario Batali, and eventually a butcher's apprentice in Italy. Review

Kitchen Confidental by Anthony Bourdain
Never order fish on a Monday. Find out what it's really like in a restaurant kitchen.

A Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain
Traveling + Food: what the rest of the world eats.

The Nasty Bits by Anthony Bourdain
A collection of short stories from his travels.

The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn
One woman's journey as a student at the world's most famous cooking school, Le Cordon Bleu.

Service Included by Phoebe Damrosch
What is it like being a waitress in a 4 star Thomas Keller Restaurant in NYC?

My Last Supper
If you had one last meal on Earth, what would it be? Find out what 50 chefs chose as their final meal.

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About

2007-02-13T03:15:00.000-08:00

Hi, my name is Amy. I'm a third year medical student living in Seattle with my partner in crime Steven and our rabbit Peter/Mr. Bunnington/Mr. Bunbuns. After I graduated from college, I started to cook with all my newfound spare time. Then I created this site in February 2007 as my recipe box/food journal, and overall, place I can share my thoughts on food.

Why Nook & Pantry?
When I first started this blog, the nook and pantry were on opposite ends of the kitchen, framing it like two bookends. The nook has windows on three sides and served as a dining area, desk, and food prep surface. The pantry first started out as a weathered, two-shelf bookcase that came with the house and is probably older than I am. Now we've upgraded the pantry to something bigger to hold everything from ordinary cocoa powder to unusual Chinese ingredients like dried wood ear fungus.

The Recipes
My bad habit is that I almost never follow a recipe exactly. Heck, sometimes I can't even follow my own recipes exactly. The recipes you'll find here are either original creations, adapatations of an existing recipe, and a few family recipes. You'll find that one thing I almost always change is the sugar content of baked goods. I'm hardly a health nut but I firmly believe that you can cut out a good portion of the sugar of baked goods recipes and you won't even miss it.

Contact Me
You can email me at nookandpantry(at)gmail(dot)com

Looking for More?
The Nook Bookshelf - Books and Cookbooks: see my collection grow
The Pantry