I've been too busy this year to post, but I've been cooking a little:

Home-made pasta



Eggs in purgatory



Eggplant parmesan

I'm not sure what this is really called, but it's soft tofu in a spicy clam broth.


12 oz extra soft tofu
3 oz clam broth
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper (try to use the korean kind)
2 stalks scallion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper

Heat sesame oil over medium low heat, being careful not to burn it. When the oil is hot, add red pepper, and fry for a couple minutes until the oil starts to turn red. Add garlic and stir fry until fragrant.


At this point, you could add 2 oz pork belly, for extra flavor. Stir fry pork until thoroughly cooked, then add broth, increase heat to medium high, and bring to a boil. Add tofu, bring to a boil, and boil for a couple of minutes. Add scallion, season with salt & pepper, and serve with some rice.


8/10: I ate nothing but this dish for the past 2 weeks until I could do it right.

The Chinese take-out places in Ithaca made this dish called Singapore Mai Fun, but I haven't been able to find a place that does it in Texas. It's usually done with chicken, but I tried it with tofu instead:


1 (8 oz) package of mai fun noodles
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 block firm tofu
4 eggs
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 cup green onions, chopped (I used the ones with big bulbs)
6 oz snow peas
4 oz water chestnuts
3 tbsps vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
3 tbsp soy sauce
salt & pepper

Cook rice noodles for a few minutes until soft, and drain. Chop tofu and pan fry in 1 tbsp oil until browned on all sides. Separately, lightly scramble eggs in 1 tbsp oil. Set noodles, tofu, and eggs aside, and heat remaining oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add garlic, curry and red pepper flakes, and stir fry until fragrant. Add bell pepper, onion, green onions, snow peas, and water chestnuts and stir fry for about 5 minutes. Add tofu, noodles, broth, and soy sauce and cook for a few more minutes until most of the broth is absorbed. Add eggs, season with salt & pepper and serve.


6/10: I've tried this a few times before, and it's hard to get the noodles just right. I think you have to make them a little undercooked when you pre-boil them, since you will cook them further in the broth at the end.

Here is a very green dish. It's pesto with some zucchini I cooked lightly in some olive oil. Fresh basil is a must. I use a little less cheese and a little more pine nuts than the recipe calls for.

Long time no update. I made this dish, it's basically a roast beef cooked in chianti wine and tomatoes.


I made this a couple of months ago for Christmas. Between 4 guys, we managed to finish the 3 lbs roast, 2 lbs of potatoes, 1 lbs shrimp, an entire tray of baked ziti, 1 lbs of asparagus, and 1 lbs of mushrooms. We also finished 2 bottles of wine and a bottle of vodka. And 2 pints of ice cream.

Also from the Dinosaur BBQ cookbook, this is Clam, Shrimp, and Scallop Pan Roast:


2 dozen littleneck clams
3/4 lbs large shrimp, deveined (about 14 shrimp)
1/2 lbs sea scallops
1 cup clam juice
1 cup dry white wine
6 tbsp Mutha Sauce (see post below)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp heavy cream
1/4 cup olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Purge and scrub the clams (you need to purge them in cold saltwater for about 4-5 hours). Discard any that are dead (not closed), and boil the rest until they just open (about 2-4 minutes), fish them out as they open, and keep warm. Discard any that do not open after boiling.

Heat oil over medium high heat. Saute garlic and jalapenos for a few minutes until fragrant. Add clam juice, wine, and Mutha sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce sauce over high heat for about 8 minutes, then add red pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Lower heat to medium high, add shrimp and scallops, and simmer until they are just cooked (they are done when they are opaque), about 4 minutes. Add heavy cream and basil, return clams, and stir gently, and serve immediately.


I made this dish for some guests, and served it with some baked ziti and Zuppa Toscana, along with rest of the white wine. You could also add some chopped parsley for garnish, as well as some lemon juice, but I did not do this. Make sure you serve with some fresh baked bread, to mop up the tasty sauce.



Hungry guests make a cook happy.


I don't much care for shellfish or shrimp, but the guests liked this dish a lot. I think the important thing in a dish like this is to cook the seafood very lightly, and to use some good white wine.

From the Dinosaur BBQ cookbook, this is a Creole variation on Chicken Scaparello, a classic Italian dish.

4 lbs chicken, cut into pieces and skinned (I used drumsticks)
Creole seasoning
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
10 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups chicken broth or stock
6 pickled pepperoncini, chopped
1 1/2 cups Mutha Sauce (See post below)
3 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
3 tsp white wine vinegar
salt and pepper


Remove skin from chicken, trim fat, and rub Creole seasoning (mostly paprika, onion powder and garlic powder) into chicken pieces. Heat half the olive oil over large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and brown all sides. Put chicken aside, and remove fat and oil from skillet. Replace with the rest of the olive oil, and saute garlic for a few minutes. Add onions and red peppers, season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft. Add chicken broth, Mutha sauce, vinegar, pepperoncini, bay leaves, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Return chicken, and bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer partially covered over medium heat for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked. Skim oil off of surface, remove bay leaves, and serve over rice.



7/10: The sauce was really tasty because the chicken broth I used was a rich dark homemade one. I think this recipe could be changed to make a really good gumbo, adding just some celery, brown roux or toasted flour, and Andouille sausage.