Author: Joanne

Congee

Published by Joanne

This rice porridge recipe is one I came across this dish a few years ago while I was traveling in Japan. I was having breakfast at a convenience store (shout out to Lawson, I miss you every day) and I order a breakfast menu that didn’t look incredibly unfamiliar. I thought to myself: oh porridge and salmon, nice. The porridge was rice and egg mixture and it was perfect. Whenever I have enough time to make this I try to go back to that memory of having breakfast in Japan and just digging into the unknown. This recipe is great for the weekend because it can take up to an hour to come to completion. 

Caesar Salad & Homemade Croutons

Published by Joanne

Did you know that the Caesar Salad was originated in Mexico during the prohibition era in the 1920s? Neither did I. And that is your fun fact of the day, this is not that type of blog.  Caesar Salad has become the most basic and staple dish in restaurants all over the world. Not feeling adventurous? Order a Caesar Salad. On a diet? Caesar Salad. Everything literally looks gross on the menu? Caesar. Salad. Anyway, for some weird reason, I was craving it, so I went ahead and got all of the ingredients and made it all from scratch. Luckily my mother in law brought me back some anchovies from Spain. It does not get better than Anchoas del Cantábrico.

Kimchi fried rice

Published by Joanne

This kimchi fried rice is something I made very quickly last Friday after a morning full of meetings, an afternoon full of errands, and then having to go pick up a friend at the airport. It’s quick, tasty, and ugly delicious. Also, if you’re anything like me and you always keep kimchi, eggs, and green onions in the fridge—you’re golden for this one. 

Udon noodles topped with kimchi and a fried egg

Published by Joanne

I love udon noodles. I’m also obsessed with the show Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, on Netflix. It’s so beautiful, I’ve rewatched every episode a few times. Samin Nosrat is my queen. In the show, she talks about wabi-sabi, the worldview centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. For example, in the picture above you can’t really see it but I burned the fried egg. That’s the beauty of wabi-sabi: things can go slightly wrong but it’s okay. More people should be into it.  Kake udon noodles are my favorite. They’re firm, chewy, and chunky. I recently went to HMart and bought a very large supply of noodles (among many other tasty ingredients), so I am excited to share this recipe. As I’ve mentioned before, most of these directions/measurements are done by the eye. I highly suggest you add more or remove what you like from the main ingredients. Like spice? Add more! Hate mushrooms? Remove them completely! 

Simple Cucumber Salad

Published by Joanne

Something that happens to me a lot is that I make a great standalone dish and I can’t think of a side that highlights the dish and is tasty. I always end up using bread or rice or quinoa. It makes me feel super basic. The other day I got amazing cucumbers at the farmers market so I decided that a Japanese inspired cucumber salad was something that I just have to share, the simple cucumber salad! (Adapted from Samin Nosrat) What you’ll need: 🛒

Golden Turmeric Latte

Published by Joanne

That’s right, baby you thought I wasn’t serious about the golden turmeric latte but plot twist, I am. I’m pretty sure turmeric saved me from getting sick from this shitty weather we have in Houston. The summer to fall change in Houston consisted of a 15-degree drop and a 15% increase in my complaining. For this recipe you can use either fresh or dry ingredients, however, I recommend fresh ones because fresh is superior and we both know this.  What you’ll need: 🛒 2 tablespoons of fresh ground turmeric (same measurement if you’re using powdered) 2 tablespoons of fresh ground ginger (get fucking fresh ginger) 3 small green cardamom pods 1 cinnamon stick (2 teaspoons if you’re using powdered) 4 cups of unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or whatever milk or milk alternative you drink) 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg honey as a sweetener depends on your taste buds! Method: 🔪🍵Mix all of your ingredients in a pot on at medium heat. Once it starts simmering, lower the heat and leave it on a low simmer for 10 minutes …