…if what they want is GOOD food.

For me, peanut sauce served as a definitive gateway flavor into what would be come a lifelong addiction to Thai cuisine. Having grown up on a steady diet of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, it wasn’t until I first tasted the peanut sauce that accompanied my Mom’s chicken satay from the Thai spot in our mall food court that I came to realize that peanut butter could be used in savory dishes as well. To my young developing palate, peanut sauce was at once exotic and familiar.  Salty, sweet and rich with warm Thai spices, the run-of-the-mill skewered chicken soon became a vehicle for what I really wanted: the sauce.

I’ve made many versions of peanut sauce over the years and have come to recognize this rendition as my go-to, all-purpose recipe.  Used as a dip, tossed with rice noodles or as a condiment for jasmine rice, I’m sure you’ll find this sauce has many amazing applications.  While some recipes include everything from soy sauce and grated ginger to garlic and chili sauce, this particular version gets it’s nuance and depth from aromatic Thai curry paste.  Along with a few other simple yet flavorful ingredients, it’s the paste that takes this sauce to the next level and lend it that authentic taste.  It goes without saying that a fresh, homemade curry paste will render an exceptionally fragrant final sauce, but if you’re strapped for time, store-bought red curry paste from a jar makes a perfectly suitable alternative.

Continue reading peanut sauce . . .

To be completely honest, I didn’t even realize these crispy bites were referred to as crab rangoon until recently.  Growing up, these crab and cream cheese filled wontons were known as crab cheese puffs at my family’s favorite Chinese take-out spot.  I’m pretty sure those guys were skimping on the crab because all I can remember is chomping down into a warm glob of scallion-flecked cream cheese.  Don’t get me wrong, dipped into hot Chinese mustard and highlighter-red sweet and sour sauce, I wasn’t complaining.  Today, wiser and bit more sophisticated, I need that crab.

It’s dungeness crab season here in the Bay Area, and while there might be better dishes out there that highlight the sweet, succulent flesh of these delicious creatures, crab rangoon seems like a perfectly festive nibble to serve as an hors d’oeuvre at any last minute holiday parties.  My version features a bunch of thinly sliced green onions, Worcestershire sauce for added savory depth and just a bit of grated ginger and lemon juice to cut through the richness of the cream cheese.

Continue reading crab rangoon recipe . . .

Let’s be honest — this dish isn’t going to be winning any beauty pageants anytime soon.  With it’s reddish-brown color scheme and thick, chili-like texture, this isn’t the type of recipe that turns many heads on Foodgawker or Tastespotting.  So, like a friend who’s just set you up on a blind date with an aesthetically challenged individual, I implore you to move past its humble appearance and try to get to know the soul of this comforting dish.

For me, this is cold weather fare at its best.  A warm, stick-to-your-ribs type meal that’s like a hug from a loved one.  Creamy lentils and sausages combine to produce a dish that is both high in protein and rich in savory flavor.  The best part? It’s cheap and simple to make.  In fact, you probably already have everything to make it your kitchen.  All you really need is a handful of lentils, a few sausages from the fridge, a leftover glass of wine, and you can have a filling and satisfying meal at a moment’s notice.  This is hearty food that reheats well and makes great leftovers.

If looks don’t matter, you might have found your new soul mate.

Continue reading lentil stew recipe . . .