Junk food, and the salvation of Turkey Jook (a.k.a., rice porridge, xifan, congee, juk, okayu)

Question: is it wise to eat pizza, chocolate-covered rice crispy bars, spicy blue corn chips and other junk food exemplars for days and days on end…even if you feel like being lazy? Answer: No! My concern for all I’ve ingested leads me to attempt some salvation. Traditionally restorative, I am hoping that six thousand years [...]

Parsley Pesto: the magic of hacking

One of my friends told me that you can make a nice pesto with parsley – good to know when basil is not available or is overly pricey – like, in the winter! Swapping the one herb for another is an easy hack that still yields good results: a beautiful, tasty sauce.
More than anything else, [...]

Three Bean Salad: antidote to winter, super convenient and less than $1.00 per serving!

The other day, I realized that I had a ton of canned beans. Very handy, considering that it gets SO cold in the tundra of Minnesota that you don’t always want to brave the outside. So, instead of trekking to the store, I looked for some bean recipes. I found a simple one for two-bean [...]

Mac N’ Cheese: Now, with White Wine and Spinach!

 
I haven’t actually eaten much mac n’ cheese in my life. But I think this will make your mom cry – it’s that good. Warm up your favorite saucepan. Throw in a pat of butter. Let that melt. Keep the heat medium. Toss a tablespoon of cornstarch and mix mix mix – don’t let this [...]

When the stars make you drool just like Pasta Fazool, that’s Amore…(about $.50 per serving)

Sometimes slow cookers can help you become magical – in two places at once. Yes, you can be hard at work in the kitchen and relaxing elsewhere, at the very same time. (mea culpa, no pix for this post.)
Pasta Fazool (Pasta e Fagioli)

3lbs of Swanson’s Lower Sodium chicken stock ($2.75);
1 lb dry kidney beans, soaked [...]