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Updated March 26, 2019 I don’t bake a lot of cakes, but I have made more than my fair share. I recently made a Raspberry Coconut Cake with Coconut Streusel and Josh said that it is the BEST cake I’ve ever made. I was kind of surprised because I just made this cake up on a whim. I wasn’t expecting it to get the BEST cake tittle. I personally don’t know if I would give it the best cake award because I am a chocolate cake kind of gal, but I will say that this cake is really, really good!...

I learned this traditional version from my mother and wanted to share it since last year! It is a popular vegetable in many Asian countries, especially in India and China. I agree to be sent email. I like it for the fact that it is low in calories and packed with nutrients, making it a great option for healthy recipes. I usually make ridge gourd chutney that also goes well with white rice....

Growing up in Northern China, seafood was quite expensive and was typically an occasional treat. Salt and pepper shrimp was always one of my favorite appetizers when we went to a restaurant. Back in China, restaurants usually use head-on shrimp with the shell to make this dish. The shrimp are lightly battered and fried until crispy, and tossed in a salt and pepper mixture. It tastes heavenly served with cold beer....

Updated March 05, 2020 Saltine Cracker Toffee I LOVE Easter candy. I think it is my favorite candy of the year. I try to resist buying any until a few weeks before the holiday, but it is so hard to resist. I love all of the pretty pastel colors. I love buying Easter candy for Easter baskets, egg hunts, and eating buy the handful. I also love making special treats with Easter candy....

Updated January 04, 2020 Santa Board I am taking a break from all of the holiday cookie baking to share this fun and festive Santa Board. This simple and cute board is the perfect addition to any holiday spread. Kids and adults love snacking with Santa! It’s a great snack to have around because Santa balances out all of the sweet treats! Plus, the Santa board is perfect for parties, play dates, work parties, school parties, or every day snacking in December!...

How to make authentic Sesame Juice? If you’ve never had it or heard of it, Sesame juice or Ellu juice( Ellu means Sesame In the Kannada language) can best be described as a refreshing, creamy-ish, coconutty drink that is served chilled, pleasantly sweet and great for something to sip on in the summer heat. I agree to be sent email. Think along the lines of coconut milk with cardamom. The beverage has an exotic history that traces back to ancient times, but more importantly for me, it is one of my childhood favorites....

This cold Sichuan chicken dish is served with a numbing, spicy, nutty sauce that is addictively tasty. It may look plain, but it will blow your mind with a single bite. This Sichuan chicken is the type of dish I had felt reluctant to make at home, but once I did, I wondered why I hadn’t done it sooner. When you look at the ingredient list, you understand my initial hesitation....

Now that weather is finally getting cooler, it’s the perfect season for hot pot. After I published The Ultimate Hot Pot Guide, I received many positive reviews and got numerous requests for homemade Sichuan hot pot soup base. I have to admit, hot pot soup base is not something we make at home back in China, because it’s so easy to buy the packaged ones. I also thought the store bought ones always tasted better, because they are usually made by famous restaurants and stores that have hundreds of years of history....

Literally all I eat throughout fall is chili and cookies. And cornbread. A day or three has gone by without me eating something green. Alas, I’m alive and well! ‘Tis the season. I’m putting Brussels sprouts in tonight’s chili recipe just in case my body has forgotten what a green vegetable is. I’m not even gonna lie…these cookies have slight identity issues. As in, Alexis wants to put molasses in her cookies because she loves the flavor even though that begs the question, “have these left the world of pumpkin and entered the world of gingerbread?...

I’m not going to beat around the bush. These muffins are BOMB! They are stuffed to the brim with juicy, sweet chunks of apple and spiced with all the warming spices you want during fall. Cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and all spice all make an appearance. Yes please! I love having muffins in the house for grab-and-go breakfasts and easy, healthy snacks. These apple muffins are healthy-ish. They are made with a combination of white flour and oat flour....

Ingredients needed For the homemade pesto Baby spinach. Fresh basil leaves. Fresh garlic gloves. Nuts. Pine nuts, almonds, cashews or pecan nuts are all good options. Parmesan cheese. Extra-virgin olive oil. Salt and black pepper. For the chicken pesto pasta Pasta. I used spaghetti but any pasta shape of your choice will work. Penne or rigatoni are good options if you want short pasta. Gluten-free pasta can also be used....

Updated March 26, 2019 Strawberries were on sale so I bought four containers. I thought we could eat four containers, but then Caleb and Josh got sick, so it was just me eating the strawberries. I was doing my best. I was eating strawberries morning, noon, and night, but I still had two containers to go. I knew if I didn’t do something with them they would go bad. I hate wasting beautiful berries so I decided to whip up a little strawberry treat, Strawberry Cheesecake Muffins to be exact....

Updated May 12, 2021 We love being in the kitchen and cook A LOT, but we still struggle with the daily question, “What should we have for dinner?” I ask Josh every day what he wants for dinner and he usually gives me the dreaded answer, “I don’t care.” Last time I checked, I don’t care isn’t a recipe:) Sometimes, after a little begging, he will come up with an idea....

Updated June 22, 2016 I LOVE going on picnics. Picnicking is one of my favorite summer activities. We like to pack picnics when we go on road trips, hiking, to outdoor concerts, or to the park. Sometimes we have picnics in our yard just because. Our boys love eating outside. Relaxing in the summer sun with good food and good company, what’s not to love? Today, I am sharing a few picnic tips and my favorite picnic recipes so you can picnic successfully all summer long!...

Take your taste buds to Korea with sundubu jjigae, a delightfully spicy and rich soft tofu stew that will bring you comfort and warmth in every bowl! {Gluten-Free} My husband and I are big fans of Korean cuisine, and one of our favorite dishes is sundubu jjigae. It’s a Korean soft tofu stew that’s a bit spicy in the most delightful way. The tofu used is a soft uncurdled form that yields the silkiest texture, and the stew has a bold red color offset by the tofu, seafood, zucchini, and enoki mushrooms....

Stuffing yummy things with even yummier things is always a stupendous idea. And I love me some squash! Butternut Squash Pasta anyone?! I have a love for Thanksgiving recipes that grows exponentially each year. The last couple years since finishing grad school have been quite a whirlwind. We opened Alchemy, the blog grew, I met my hunky boyf, and life just hasn’t seemed to slow down. Long story short, I don’t get to go home as much as I’d like to....

Published on November 23, 2011 Tomorrow is the big day! I hope your turkey is thawing and you have been to the grocery store. If not, good luck fighting the crowds:) Josh is beyond excited to make our turkey using the rotisserie feature in our Thermador oven. He practiced a few weeks ago and was thrilled with the results. We will also be making lots of tasty side dishes and desserts....

I grew up eating a lottttt of salmon. I remember my dad grilling it outside or baking it for dinner topped with this wonderful seafood seasoning. I remember my mom whipping up her famous salmon dip made with canned salmon, cream cheese, lemon juice, onion, liquid smoke, and horseradish for Jewish holidays. Given my love for salmon (have you made my Salmon Salad?!), it was high time to post the salmon burger recipe that I make at home on a regular basis....

How do I make these vegan banana muffins gluten-free? That’s with my homemade quinoa flour mixed with the right proportion of supporting ingredients that make it possible. Why this recipe works There are a few key ingredients that make these muffins successful. First, the quinoa flour gives them a light and fluffy texture. I agree to be sent email. Second, the oat milk keeps them moist and prevents them from drying out....