Without getting too wordy about this, let me just say that it’s been a long week but I’ve had some time to think and keeping silent now seems impossible and irresponsible. I feel disconnected from my country and home at the moment. I worry for myself, my family, my friends, and people across this divided country. I don’t know what the next four years will be like, but I am hopeful. Maybe this is the wakeup call we all needed.
I’m back with more date night ideas. This one involves cuddling up on the couch with a giant sweater on while slurping on some hot soupy noodles. Sounds amazing, right?
You guys know I love a good noodle soup, not the Western kind of noodle soup. You know, like chicken noodle soup. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love chicken noodle soup. But I’m talking about the kind that’s a little closer to ramen or pho. The kind where the noodles and soup make up the main foundation of the dish. That kind of noodle soup. (more…)
Call me crazy but do you ever just lose your appetite for no apparent reason? Recently, my stomach has not been doing its part in letting me know when I should eat or what I am craving. It’s a strange feeling. Honestly, it’s quite unsettling because I’m usually the type of gal who will eat five times a day and will know exactly what she wants. So you can understand my recent frustration.
When an uninspired food spell hits, I normally turn to soup or a childhood favorite – this chicken macaroni soup is the product of both. When my mother used to stay home and pick us up after school, we would very often come home to a simplified version of this soup. She’d just have ginger, chicken, macaroni, and broth in hers, and it was absolutely delicious. (more…)
Happy Happy New Year! First of all, I hope you all had a wonderful time welcoming 2016 – I did it the old fashioned way by enjoying a bittersweet dinner at West Bridge’s last service and seeing Star Wars and being in bed before midnight rang out. Crazy stuff.
Secondly, why is Boston so cold all of a sudden? It was over 60 degrees on Christmas Eve and I actually wore a dress. One week later and I’m bundled up in my wool coat and boots whenever I can summon the energy to go outside and pray I don’t get blown away by the sharp winds. My body and closet are equally confused by the hot and cold temper of Mother Nature. Literally. (more…)
Perhaps it’s my restless desire for change, or my anxiety from the undeniably longer nights that indicate even longer nights are coming to overshadow our daylight, but my appetite has been zapped lately. I don’t feel like myself when I can’t finish my food and I become disappointed in my tummy’s lack of desire for a real meal. Am I alone here?
Like an old woman aging gracefully, I crave softer foods that are totally neutral when digesting. Did I say too much? If you follow what I’m trying to say, then you understand how miserable this war with food can be. Running this blog can become difficult when you suddenly become underwhelmed by ingredients and cooking. (more…)
One of the most exciting things about cooking is finding a recipe you love and then tweaking it around. Letting your intuition and taste buds guide you into new, but familiar territory. At the end of that culinary journey, you pleasantly find that your instincts have done well and created something spectacular.
A lot of my recipes are developed that way – cooking through other people’s works and then undoing it for my sake. I think that’s the heart of the creative process – acquire what skills you need and then unlearn all of that to build something new. It’s so exciting this way.
Valentine’s Day is near– it’s a faux holiday that makes us single folks feel bad. It’s not my favorite day of the year BUT lots of places make these incredible Valentine Day’s desserts and I always like to treat myself to a couple things. I am my own sugar momma.
However, dinner is a completely different story. Last year, Leili and I did Galentine’s Day and it was a complete disaster trying to book a reservation. We had dinner at 5:30 because we waited until last minute to look. This year will be different. (more…)
January is traditionally the coldest month in New England – anything above freezing is welcoming. During this frosty month, I usually turn to soup for comfort and it never disappoints. There is something magical about the ritual of sitting down to a hot bowl of steaming soup, especially if it’s got noodles in it. Just in time for the big storm.
I truly believe the classic chicken noodle soup is the one soup to rule them all. If I had to be committed to one soup for the rest of my life, this would be it. I’m using the homemade chicken broth I talked about earlier in this recipe. Homemade broth is incomparable, but if you are in a rush and just need a quick fix, then I suppose you could use the store-bought. (more…)
I couldn’t write this post fast enough because I’m so excited to get to the recipe after this one. I’m making chicken noodle soup! Now, can you feel my giddiness? Before we get to the good stuff, I feel it’s important to introduce the most important foundation of chicken noodle soup: the broth.
Be warned, this is neither the most intriguing nor the prettiest recipe, but I can guarantee a lot of flavor and a happy tummy. Chicken broth is so versatile and this recipe could be used for many other dishes and soups to come.
