Soy Bean Pudding/Dau Fu Fah

Douhua 豆花, dòuhuā, or doufuhua 豆腐花 in Chinese literary translates to soybean flower. It is dessert made by cooking soybean milk with calcium sulfate (gypsum) as a coagulant. This popular dessert is found  in most dim sum restaurant. The texture of this wonderful dessert is smooth and silky and delicious when served in a warm sugar syrup. A Japanese friend told me that she used to make all her tofu with nigari, another type of coagulant that is commonly used in Japan. Nigari is magnesium sulphate made by evaporating sea water and can be found in some health food stores. For this post, I'd used gelatin, however, you can also substitute with agar agar powder.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Quinoa and Beet Salad

This summer,we have been eating a lot of salad lately. Perhaps it's my excuse for being tired after the long drive home from work. I am glad that John is not a picky eater and he enjoyed most of what I cooked. This is mostly how it goes the minute I got home from work: feed the cat, check on the chicken for eggs, picked some greens or whatever is available from the garden. Then it's back to the kitchen to whip up something simple for dinner. Here's one of my version of a summer salad using leftovers from the fridge.

Risotto Con Funghi Porcini

Here's a hearty recipe for someone like me who has to have rice at least once a week. This traditional Italian dish is prepared with some of my favorite fungi’s (porcini and chanterelle). Risotto is a versatile, flavorful and nutritious dish and can be prepared with a variety of ingredients to suit any taste and occasion. Buon Appetito!

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Drummettes

I am an easy target (sucker) for finger food! Today I have a great recipe for chicken drummettes. Chicken drummettes are the fleshy part of the wing and it reminds me of a mini chicken thigh. It is versatile and a great appetizing snack. This recipe is easy to prepare and it's full of flavor and mouthwatering--yummy!

Parmesan Baked Fish with Onion and Leek

My son-in-law made this for dinner one evening while I was visiting. It was something that he came up on his way home from work. It was baked fish fillets with onion, leek and cheese stuffing, and polenta on the side. You can use any variety of firm white fish: cod, catfish, or grouper works well. If you are looking for a simple yet elegant fish dinner--this is the one!

Goji Berry, Date, & Pistachio Nut Slices

Here's a great tasting treat to perk up that mid-day at work! These buttery fingers are filled with dates, goji berries, and pistachio nuts. For nutritional purposes, I've added goji berry to the recipe. Goji berry or wolfberry can be found in many health food stores. They are often used in Chinese herbal soups as they are high in antioxidant, help eyesight, improve circulation and boost immune function. I have a goji berry shrub in my garden and it provides me a good supply of plump and sweet berries. Enjoy it with a cup of your favorite tea or coffee.

Pistachio Nut Brownies

The trend in brownies over the past several years is ever gooier creations that seem to overwhelm you with chocolate and sugar. They are really only suitable for dessert. I wanted something that was a bit more versatile and could be enjoyed in the afternoon with tea without ruining your appetite for dinner. This brownie can even be enjoyed mid-morning with tea or coffee. Though I like walnuts, they never seemed quite right to me in brownies, their slightly bitter aftertaste always seems to be what I taste last as I eat a brownie. Instead I‘ve used pistachios, their mild and nutty taste matches this sparingly sweetened brownie and gives it added texture and notes of other flavors, not just chocolate.