Red Pork Curry with Bell Peppers
from Cooking School Thai

Special Ingredients:
home-made red curry with
toasted coriander seeds

Changes:
Substituted cilantro root with green cilantro leaves, which is one of the main differences between red and green curry. Have to try with the root next time.

Notes:
Have to have all ingredients prepped and chopped before starting to cook. Pork got overcooked a bit. I had to blanch tomatoes so I could peel them, so I turned the curry off and let it sit, while I prepped the tomatoes. Meanwhile the pork kept cooking. Have to be careful with it next time.

Description:
Very tasty rich dish, with a twist compared to usual coconut curries. The tomatoes and lime zest (from curry paste) add acidity and cut through the fattiness of pork and coconut. Home-made red curry adds a lot of flavor and aroma - it comes out through your nose. Toasted coriander seeds add the most to it, but none of the ingredients are overpowering.

Will I make it again? yes

Stir-Fried Clams in Black Bean Sauce
from The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen by Grace Young

Paella de Verduras
from Best Ever Mediterranean

Special Ingredients:
Saffron
Paprika
Grilled bell pepper

Modifications:
used whatever I could find in a fridge
 Added porkbelly bits
Substituted parsley with little remaining cilantro and lovage from the garden



What do you do when you have nothing to eat and are too tired to go to grocery store to complete a recipe? You make jambalaya from anything you can find in a fridge.

This is a vegetarian recipe, but since I didn't have all the vegetables in the recipe, like asparagus or peas, I decided to beef it up with porkbelly bits and homemade pork stock. I have made pretty good jambalayas before, but this one is amazing (despite me having to get by with whatever I could find in the fridge). Saffron and paprika give a strong authentic Spanish flavor to this paella. Grilled bell pepper is another special addition. I got to use my cast iron grill-pan. Yeay!! Simple way to add flavor and a gourmet touch. I had only dry chick peas (recipe calls for canned), and tried to rapid boil them while prepping, but they still turned out on an al dente side. But great protein addition to the vegetarian recipe.

Will I make it again? No - too homy for my taste. Unless I am in an emergency again, where I have to scratch something up like tonight. But will definitely try other paellas from this cook-book with meat (like chorizo) and seafood. I also learned, that saffron and paprika are a must in paella!

Scrambled Eggs with leftover Mushroom Gorgonzola source

 Leftover mushroom blue cheese Gorgonzola source turned scrambled eggs into Best Eggs I ever Tasted.

Petite Filet with Gorgonzola and Porcini Mushroom Sauce
by Giada de Laurentiis

Special Ingredients:

Blue Cheese Gorgonzola

Porcini mushrooms

Dried mushrooms (addition from my pantry)

Mustard

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/petite-filet-with-gorgonzola-and-porcini-mushroom-sauce-recipe/index.html

 Very delicious source. However mayonnaise makes it too fatty. I would substitute it with sour cream next time. Blue cheese and mushrooms are the best compliment to a stake.

Would I make it again? Probably. I would like to try a similar recipe from Madison Originals Cookbook.

Shrimp Stock
by Emeril Lagasse

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/shrimp-sw

I will never through away shrimp shells again! I love seafood, and always buy fresh shrimp in shell at a Chinese store, because it's tasty and cheap. Very easy and cheep way to make your own stock out of something I used to consider waste. Super flavorful. Beats any store-bought stock or even the clam juice.

Will I make it again? many times!

Shrimp Scampi
by Emeril Lagasse

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/shrimp-scampi-recipe/index.html

Tasty, simple well known recipe with butter and lemon.

Will I make it again? no. too simple favors for me. I prefer stronger and more unusual flavors.

Comte Cheese Sufle
from Chocolate & Zucchini

Special ingredients:
Comte or Gruyere Cheese (similar to Swiss)
Nutmeg

I make this when I want to turn a Saturday into my own little festival. Although I am not a fan of Swiss type cheeses, but this sufle is so fun, and I Comte gives just enough of a hint. 

Would I make it again? Made several times and will in the future.

Cheese and Sausage Platter
from Fromagination and Trader Joes
http://fromagination.com/

The Comet Cafe, Milwaukee

Meatloaf with Beer Gravy
Mac and Cheese

http://www.thecometcafe.com/

Meatloaf wrapped in bacon  with Brussels sprouts - super tasty, to die for.

The mac and cheese was the best I ever had! Although reheated leftovers were very buttery. I would like to make a really good homemade mac n' cheese some day. Still on my to do list.

Salmon Laksa
from Wok

Special Ingredients:
Salmon
Mint and chives

Modifications:
none - too simple and perfect to add or take away anything. Have missed mint during winter months.

I made this recipe many times. But the first time, I was very pleasantly surprised - mint and chives add great freshness to this coconut soup, and hint spiciness from chilli offsets the sweetness.

This soup has become a comfort dish for me, and is very fast to make. Every time I am at Trader Joe's, I always pick up a frozen salmon filet and keep it in a freezer. Then all you need is coconut milk, noodles and other Asian cooking essentials, like ginger, fish sauce and sesame oil. 

Will I make it again? many times!

Green Chicken Curry
from Wok

First time I made this - it was best coconut curry I ever had. Second time - tasty, but not so much. I think I used wrong paste the second time.


Will I make it again? yes

Teaching my mom how to cook mussels

Spaghetti a la Puttanesca

from Madison Originals Cookbook by Lombardino's

This is one of my very favorite recipes. You have to make a tapenade type paste from olives, capers, anchovies... Lots of flavor, great smell, and my always favorite mussels and shrimp make this a perfect dish. After seafood is gone, we slurp the broth with spaghetti - equally delicious as the seafood.



Will I make it again? many times!

Baked Salmon with Cranberry Source

Found this in my old pictures and cannot remember where I got the recipe from.

This is one the best ways to cook salmon. Cranberries break through the richness of salmon perfectly. I think source used honey. It wasn't tart like you would expect from cranberries.

Would I make it again? yes! Must find the recipe.

Can't remember what I made here. Keep staring and thinking...

Seared Shrimp in Endive Leaves with Tarragon Parsley Source
by Giada de Laurentiis

Special Ingrediants:
Tarragon parsley yogurt source

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/seared-shrimp-in-endive-leaves-with-parsley-sauce-recipe/index.html

WOW! So much flavor! So unexpected! Super refreshing. Fenominal all together and sauce and shrimp separately. Endive is too bitter for me. I would substitute it with napa cabbage. Made once mixed as a salad, and spooning into endive/lettuce scoops make this delicacy into perfect bites. Worth messing around.

Would I make it again? Definitely. A lot of work, but this is ultimate treat.

Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts with Chinese Bacon

http://newasiancuisine.com/232-irene-brussels-sprouts.html

This was my absolute favorite way to cook Brussels sprouts, until I made them too many times in same year.


Will I make it again? many times!  I do need a break from this recipe though