For the past few New Years Eves, we have been attending a fancy pot luck dinner with a few close friends. This tradition has also been accompanied by me trying out new recipes that challenge some of my cooking fears– see Rosemary Focaccia (fear: yeast) of 2012 and Roasted Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce and Pomegranate Seeds (fear: eggplant) of 2013. For 2014, one of the dishes I decided to make was gougères (fear: choux dough). Choux dough is a classic French pastry technique that uses steam from a high moisture dough as a leavening agent. Gougères are a savory use of this dough usually with a Swiss type of cheese incorporated into the dough.
Lemon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts
I feel like Brussels Sprouts are making a comeback. Over the past few years I have fallen in love with these tiny cabbages and have heard many friends and family members tell me how they’ve “come around to the idea of them.” I’m here to reassure you that there’s nothing to fear– Brussels Sprouts are amazing… you just need to prepare them in the right way!
Mushroom Soondubu (aka spicy tofu stew)
Discovering new food is probably one of my favorite adventures. Sometimes you find things you don’t like (no matter how many times I try it, I still don’t like duck). Other times you find a food and you can’t believe how many years you wasted not eating it. Pho was one of those foods for me, and about a year ago soondubu entered my life.