Oh how comforting tomato soup can be on a cold rainy night. Ok not rainy because I live in California and it hasn't rained much for a really long time. But it has been getting a big chilly at night. All I can think of is taking a break from the books and bundling up in my warmest clothes, putting on fuzzy slippers, wrapping myself in a soft blanket and sipping on warm soup. On another note, I am almost finished with the first semester of grad school! Woohoo! I am looking forward to cooking more often during my break!
Read MoreRaspberry-Pecorino Salad with Toasted Almonds
I usually don't like fruit in my salads. I'm a savory salad kinda gal. I don't like sweet dressings either. My favorite dressing is lemon juice and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. I know, so boring but I really enjoy the flavors from good EVOO and tangy lemon juice. I don't know what got into to me but I tried a version of this salad at Pizza Antica at Santana Row and immediately fell in love. The restaurant's version had strawberries and pecorino on a bed of arugula with a drizzle of balsamic dressing and a sprinkle of toasted almonds.
Read MoreSpicy Green Beans
If you live in the Bay area and haven't been to Burma Superstar, then you need to change that...STAT. This place is always crowded, granted it is a super small restaurant, but still. I often crave their Samusa Soup, which is a thick spiced broth with potatoes and peas filled fritters and falafels. My mouth is watering just writing about it. We always get the soup and their Tea Leaf Salad. Yes, you heard it right, tea leaves...in your salad. Don't cringe just yet...its not the regular English Breakfast tea leaves. In fact its fermented green tea leaves, which means the tea leaves are steeped in hot water and then blended with spices. It sounds strange but this happens to be their most popular dish. My husband, who doesn't like drinking tea or coffee, actually enjoys eating this salad. I always make him try weird food and I almost always fail to impress. But this tea leaf salad was a winner.
Read MoreAvocado-Egg(White) Salad
One of my dad's favorite things to eat is an egg salad. Whenever I visit my parents, I make him the traditional egg salad -- soft boiled eggs, yellow onions, mayo, mustard, herbs, salt and pepper. I never thought of trying to make it any other way until my aunt-in-law (Monica bua/aunt) asked me if I knew of any recipes for an Avocado Egg Salad. Ahh such a great idea! A healthy alternative to the traditional egg salad without all the fat from the egg yolks and mayonnaise. The avocado adds a wonderful creaminess and the greek yogurt takes place of the mayo. Adding lime juice prevents the avocado from browning while adding a delightful tangy flavor
Read MoreChocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
These cookies are the answer to everything. They're buttery, chocolatey with just the right amount of salt and sugar. I've made these several times already and finally got around to posting the recipe. The original recipe is by Natasha from The Cake Merchant and the only modification I made was the addition of salt and excluding the dipping the cookies in chocolate part.
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