Recipes

Sesame Peanut-Butter Noodle

In contrast to a plain boring look, this was full of garlic and had a good fragrance, and the mellowness and spiciness of the peanuts...

No-Knead Focaccia Bread with Toppings

Focaccia bead with topping, this is really fun to make! Focaccia originated in Genoa, Italy, and is considered the prototype of pizza....

Spicy Ginger Pork with noodles

This is the ultimate all-purpose versatile spicy ginger pork. The aroma of ginger and the sweet seasoning will whet your appetite.. It...

Cast Iron Easy Pizza

A cast iron pan was a must-have item in Fiona's kitchen. I remember every time my family and I went to visit her, there was a cast iron...

Sicilian-Style Pasta with Anchovies and Breadcrumbs

Spaghetti with anchovies and breadcrumbs is a pasta loved in Sicily. It's one of the dishes called Cucina Povera in Italy. ``Cucina...

Black Peppercorn Flank-Steak

This is a simple and easy steak recipe and yet still impressive. Fiona didn't have a grill, so, when she made steak, she used a broiler....

Saikyo-zuke/Miso-Maple Glazed Salmon

In Japan, miso-marinated food is called Saikyo-zuke. Saikyo means Japan's old capital of Kyoto and zuke is to marinate. So why it is...

Spicy Chinese Ground Pork

This was Fiona's new recipe for my family. Every Wednesday, we went to her house to get together for dinner, and for this weekly meal,...

Roasted Cauliflower and Anchovy Pasta

Once Fiona's grand-daughter, my daughter, became a vegetarian, cauliflower became a go-to ingredient. Fiona loved to cook meals for us,...

Easy Tofu and Spinach Stir-Fry

After Fiona moved to our town, we decided to have dinner together once or twice a week, with Fiona wanting to cook. My daughter is a...

Simple Black Bean Soup

This ridiculously tasty and simple black bean soup is made with canned beans. How easy is that! Black beans are packed with much of the...

Instant Pot Beef Stew

Who doesn't love a pressure cooker? It saves your time and turns out better result as well. I know Fiona used to make beef stew a lot....

Winter Soup

In winter there are many root vegetables available. Root vegetables are low in calories and rich in vitamins, calcium, and dietary fiber....

Simple Fried Rice

Fried Rice...did you know that I find it hard to make this? Japanese, and other Asians find fried rice difficult to make. Isn't that a...

Coq au Riesling

Coq au vin is a traditional French stew dish. Coq au vin literally means, in English, rooster in wine. Traditionally, this dish was...

Sheet-Pan Roast Chicken with Potatoes

This one sheet pan chicken recipe is great for busy weeknight dinners. Put every thing on a sheet pan, shove it into oven, and let the...

Fiona's Summer Basil Pesto Spaghetti

This simple pesto recipe is great for summer especially if you grow your own basil or are able to get fresh basil. I remember Fiona loved...

Baked Buffalo Cauliflower

After Fiona moved to our town (right before the pandemic!), she served dinner at her place at least once a week. She loved to make meals...

Not-So Spicy Chickpeas and Tomato Stew

This recipe is perfect for tomato season. I received a ton of tomatoes from my dear friend the other day, so I decided to make this...

Homemade Hummus

"Hummus is easy to make mom" my 19 years old daughter said to me. But I wasn't sure I believed her. Well, she was right, it was easy to...