Thai Chicken Noodle Soup or Put Some Sunshine in Your Life!

The gray, dreary, totally sad excuse for days, has left me feeling in a bit of a funk. The need to rise out of bed is minimal except to meet the needs of the soft, little, shaggy creature, clawing at my bed. She wears a red, size 3T shirt, that says, "I love my mom." If that doesn't get you out of bed, what would?








Colorado is beginning to remind me a lot of growing up in Illinois,

Chinese Noodles with Blackened Green Onions, Bacon and an Angry Egg

Tomorrow I'm leaving for Philly to spend a long weekend with Zoe. We haven't seen each other since Memorial Day and I am excited to see her and her new apartment. I am told it is a big girl apartment and I am sure it is, since I know it comes with a big girl price. She may be a big girl now, but she is still my little princess and always will be. Our weekend will be spent in the Brandywine

Miso Pepper Tuna

 Who doesn't like a good steak? Well, a lot of folks and I'm one of them.  I was raised on a lot of beef (my grandfather and uncle were both butchers), but for the last 7 years I haven't eaten moo moos. No need to go into details, but other than missing burgers, I don't really miss meat.  I do admit to missing the smell of a good roast in the oven though, especially on the coldest days of

Thai Pork Dip or Don't Be a Dip

Go ahead. Look up the word dip. I've never realized just how many meanings there are for the word. My favorite from the Urban Dictionary goes like this: "Dip -  leave abruptly. To get the hell out of somewhere."  In this case at least, with this recipe, it would go something like this: "Quit being a dip. If you don't put that damn dip in front of me, I'm going to dip right out of here."

Black Pepper Tofu or Intermission

I don't know about you, but I need a break-an intermission, so to speak, from turkey and cranberries and pumpkin. A break from stuffing and mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Ditto for the sweet potatoes. And the pies. Well, we didn't do pies this year...   I know all will come back as Christmas is not over, but right now-I need a break. And I'm not talking about a cookie break. (

Balinese Chicken or Take Me Away!

 Take me away - to Bali. Please.

 Leave it to manservant to leave the taxes to October 15th. He mailed them at 11:50 PM last night. I am exhausted. I was entering bank statements for 3 days because he sprung this upon me, very last minute. I deserve a trip to Bali. Right?





 Ahhhh-well, it's been a crazy year. But I would be happy to do taxes if it meant a trip to Bali.

Teriyaki Shrimp or Glaze and Grill

Teriyaki is the Japanese cooking technique of marinating, and then grilling and glazing, usually chicken or fish. It is believed to have originated in the States, though the word teri  means luster and yaki means broil or grill. Originally it contained four ingredients-mirin, sake, sugar and soy sauce. A worthy combination but one that has been somewhat Americanized as it has become quite a

Dan Dan Sliders or Chinese Sloppy Joe

Dan Dan Sliders

 Did you see last month's Food and Wine issue where they used Pillsbury dough in the tube for a substitute for steamed buns of the Chinese dim sum kind? Well, I did. And I did it. Hard to believe that Pillsbury reduced fat biscuits are a perfect substitute for steamed buns. The recipe paired them with a pork belly type filling that is made with bacon. It was very good but

Cantonese Steamed Chicken with Black Mushrooms, Green Onion and Sausage (Good for at least 30 years)

Cantonese Steamed Chicken


It seems kind of funny
that I’ve had a Chinese steamer travelling with me over the last 33 years. I
can even remember where I bought it. My steamer was found on a sidewalk sales
table at a kitchen store in the Foothills Mall in Fort Collins, Colorado.
It must have been cheap and I must have thought that this was a great find or I
never would have bought it.

The Banh Mi Uncovered

I love a
good sandwich. Though we all have our own definition of what  a good
sandwich is- well, this what mine looks like.




Grilled Chicken Banh Mi Wrap

 My
favorite sandwich is the Vietnamese Banh Mi. By now they are everywhere, except
at your local Subway. Boy, are they missing out. In Denver they can be found over on Federal Blvd which
is my not so secret stomping ground. I love

Royal Thai Cashew Chicken with Stir Fry Veggies

Stir Fried Vegetables




 My
husband informed me that it is a new year. I mean-like I didn’t know. He
informed me that the sugar has to go. I mean really –like I didn’t know. Well
it is always hard to let something you love slip away but I do feel a bit
sluggish. It is time to get back on a path of healthier eating. I’m going to
give it the old one two. Let’s see how hard I punch.

Pad Thai and a Special Thai Dinner

                            







I can always eat Thai food. Spicy, sour, sweet. So last week when I was invited by a close friend to a 5 course wine and food Thai dinner given by students at University of Denver, well, you can imagine that I jumped at the chance to go. The dinner was part of a course they were taking where each student has the opportunity to design a meal and work with a

Okonomiyaki (It's what you want!)

                        Okonomiyaki  (It’s what you want.)



It was 85 degrees in Denver on Sunday. You might say it was just a bit warm for Denver on April 1st. Nature’s way of joking with us. Of course today it is snowing which is really typical for spring in the Rockies. I say, Mother Nature, bring it on! We need the moisture. In any case; Sunday found me going to the grocery and buying