Happy Curried Split Pea Soup

Well, that was a long blog hiatus, friends!

I have to admit – I’ve been in a cooking funk. I can blame in on a lot of things: a busy work load, the cold weather, a series of mediocre cooking experiments, my schedule not allowing me to visit the farmers’ market, or perhaps my CSA going dormant for a few months… Regardless, my food choices of late have been rather uninspired, and not from lack of trying. But the days are longer, everything is gorgeously flowering in North Carolina, and I hope to be back consistently to share my food adventures!

Pimento Cheese for One

In all my years living down South I never heard of pimento cheese until I moved to North Carolina. Perhaps I wasn’t attuned to it, perhaps I just ignored it, but whatever the reason, I can’t seem to get away from it now!

Creamy Corn Casserole

I first made this when living in San Diego, and wanted to make a Thanksgiving side that had a bit of a traditional feel. I had a lot of friends who were orphaned in town during the holidays and so we had an impromptu potluck celebration instead. Many of our friends were international students, and so the spread covered everything from traditional American fare to sushi — all of it delicious!

Post-Thanksgiving Mashed Potato Cakes

I had the honor of hosting my family’s Thanksgiving this year. When discussing the day’s menu, I asked my mom if she wanted to cook turkey, the Thanksgiving staple. “I don’t know,” she said, “but we definitely do need mashed potatoes for your brother.” His love of the creamy side dish is well documented in our household, and we usually don’t eat them except at big holidays, so we made so much we had to mash them in two batches!

Pigs in a blanket

Sometimes people ask me, “do you really eat like this?” I get confused, what does this mean? I do eat a lot of produce, minimally purchase processed foods, and avoid artificial anythings. Yet even I have my vices.

Chinese Green Garlic Pancakes

Traditionally made with scallions, I took a North Carolina farmer’s market twist on an old Chinese favorite.

Cuban Salad (I think)

As readers of this blog can probably tell/are probably tired of hearing about, the concept of authenticity is one I often grapple with when it comes to food. The day after putting in my first CSA order the 99 cent Chef* posted a recipe for a Cuban salad. I admit I was really most inrigued by the inclusion of radishes, which I had ordered but frankly didn’t know what to do with.

Red Bell Pepper Hummus

While shopping with my friend Niner at the corner Arab market in Copacabana, I decided to gather what I needed to make some red bell pepper hummus.