Batter Licker

A three-day weekend is upon (most of) us, and this time around, that means Jay and I will be attending no less than 5 different get-togethers with family and friends. We certainly get our socializing on.

For once, I don’t think I will be cooking for any one of them. (If I am, no one has told me yet, although they could very well be operating under the general assumption that, where meal-time events are involved, I tend to come bearing the fruits of my kitchen labor. I should probably hit the market tomorrow just in case.) But if I find out that someone would like me to contribute a dish, I would be delighted to throw together this version of bibimbap, mostly because it can be thrown together quite quickly while still delivering an unexpectedly flavorful result.

… Read the rest of bibimbap on BatterLicker.com!

Two weeks ago, I stood in an aisle at Whole Foods, paralyzed by a $7 jar of kimchi. When an entire head of cabbage would run me only $1, $7 for a jar containing maybe 1/6th head of cabbage seemed outrageous, even for Whole Foods prepared products. But I didn’t have a few days to let my own cabbage ferment, as bibimbap was the dinner plan for that very night and the veggies I had grated the day before were not going to stay crunchy for another day. Why and how had I planned so carefully ahead and done the prep work, but utterly forgotten such an essential ingredient?!?

… Read the rest of fake kimchi on BatterLicker.com!

When I saw Faith Durand’s recipe for Asian Cabbage Rolls with Spicy Pork, I immediately decided that I had to make it, but with lentils in lieu of pork. Lentils work very well with garlic and ginger in Indian food, so I expected them to do just as well with the same base flavors augmented by the quintessentially Asian combination of sesame, soy, green onion, and cilantro. And they did.

… Read the rest of asian cabbage rolls with spicy lentils on Batter Licker!

Hardly a revelatory combination, beans and greens are typically spruced up with the standard flavors of Italy and southern regions of the United States. But I can only eat greens sauteed with garlic so many times before I start thinking I’m sick of the greens when, in fact, I’m actually sick of the repetitive flavors. [...]

On a recent trip to the farmers market, I picked up some pea shoots. I wasn’t really sure what I would end up doing with them, nor did it really matter at the time. It was all part of the fun of picking up as-yet-unexplored-by-me produce, and it’s what I look forward to every Saturday morning when I allow myself this $5 or less, single-item indulgence that often widens my culinary repertoire. And this particular Saturday, I was delighted to find a new bunch of greens to play with.

Read the rest of my post about Pea Shoots, Daikon Radish, and Grated Sweet Potato Salad with Spicy Peanut-Sesame Dressing on BatterLicker.com!