Category: Feathers - feeding my ohana

What's Cooking This Week--Food as Comfort

10/10/2017

Guess who learned how to Bitmoji?

It's an understatement to say there's been a lot of bad stuff happening.

So this week, even though it's 84 degrees in California, we're going for Fall Comfort Food Mode. Casseroles. Stuffing. Potatoes. Rice. Nachos. Cooking these things makes me immensely happy.

Let's get through the week and try to make some good in the world, starting with dinner.

Besides making all manner of Bitmojis, here's what's cooking this week.

Good enough to cockroach!

Sunday Oven Day
Chicken Divan was for dinner, but practicing stuffing for Thanksgiving gave the fam and me joy.

Still tweaking an Italian sausage and chestnut stuffing from Bon Appetit. Two jalapeno peppers plus the hot Italian sausage was probably overkill, but everyone in the ohana loves stuffing.

Monday aka #TeenyTinyFriday
Stuffing, of course!

Tuesday
Orange Salsa Pork Chops. Remember the humongous bottle of salsa from last week? This is where we use it. With sauteed spinach and some red quinoa that the husband bought awhile back.

#sharksforlife and #sjsharks

Wednesday
Nachos and Guacamole. Remember the humongous bag of chips? Yeah, it's still here, and it's pretty darn-near impossible to be unhappy eating nachos.

Thursday is #LeftoversRoulette
Okinawan sweet potatoes and the rest of the orange salsa pork chops, with a side of pear cider as we see if the San Jose Sharks get their first win?! We hope so. Our Bay Area sports teams need a little lifeline as well.

Friday is Date Night!

Have a good week all!

What's Cooking This Week--Favorites!

9/5/2017

Go-to somen salad

It's been awhile for these old favorites. This week's menu is dedicated to people and places that hold fond memories for the ohana.

Not Meatless Tuesday
My Grandma's Meat and Macaroni. Takes me, and by extension, my kids, back to 'small kid time'. My grandma called this "Creole Macaroni" and my kids call "Meat and Macaroni" My Issei Grandma made all manner of Japanese food, and worked wonders on the side with American catsup and a can of tomato sauce.

Weekday Grilling Wednesday
Chicken Satay. This is from a Draeger's cooking class team-building session many moons ago. This was one of the best teams I have 'played' on. To this day, I still keep in touch, even though we all have long since left the original company!

Thursday
15-minute Fish and Anna's Broccoli Salad. When I was driving the piano/soccer carpool, 15-minute fish was always a good meal to get on the table after unloading various children and equipment. We've grown out of that rhythm, but it's still nice to have a proper meal on the table fast.

Aloha Friday
Nakayoshi Somen Salad is just the thing to end the week. My kids spent summers getting in touch with their inner Yonsei, and the husband and I both served on the board of this fine summer program. Good memories for all.

Looking at this week's menu reminds me of how broad and wide and open and welcoming our ohana is.

May yours be the same!

What's Cooking This Week--New Stuff Old Favorites

8/13/2017

Clearly I need better lighting!

In our new 'hood, I found 1) the local library and therefore, 2) stumbled onto a great cookbook, Damn Delicious, and borrowed for the umpteenth time, the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. Real books made from paper. Armed with that, here's what's cooking this week.

Proper Sunday Dinner
From Damn Delicious--Balsamic salmon with strawberry/mango salsa. OK, so I used a peach because they are in season and smell so good. And because the Safeway mangoes were icky, and I miss Hawaii mangoes, and am still a little resentful that I actually have to Pay Money for mango. This worked out just fine, and Sunday Dinner Birdie remarked that one should really be able to eat fruit salsa with a spoon because it's basically seasoned fruit cocktail. You go Birdie!

#Meatless Monday aka "Teeny Tiny Friday"
Quinoa Salad. We went through a period where we made this all the time. Then, as my children say, it got "OP'd" and we forgot about it. It's time to bring it back--a good full-meal salad and will work as a side or leftover. Along with the strawberry-peach-that-was-supposed-to-be-mango salsa.

Fridge to mouth in 20 minutes, tops

Tuesday is Grill Day
Banh-mi chicken sandwiches. While said Safeway had icky mangoes, they did have 'right-sized' daikon. Not too humongous, not limp and mushy, just right. We can make the pickled carrot/daikon slaw ahead of time, marinate the chicken in the morning, and short commute means weekday grilling.

Wednesday is Another #MeatlessOneDay
Mondays and Tuesdays at work tend to be very meeting heavy, so by the time Wednesday PM rolls around, that "blah-lahs" kick in. Na-omi-take Tofu requires no cooking and packs a ton of protein, plus uses the rest of that right-sized daikon. Mid-week winner.

Thursday
Another attempt at Pad Thai, this time with guidance from Damn Delicious, who recommends using regular pasta. Will probably add the leftover Banh Mi chicken for a little more protein.

Aloha Friday is #LeftoversRoulette
Leftovers and Game of Thrones. I've joined the rest of popular culture and have started watching Game of Thrones. Empty nest means lots of leftovers because we've not figured out the cooking for fewer thing yet.

It feels great to be cooking creatively again! Have a good week all.

What's Cooking This Week--On Time!

7/30/2017

Korean Mushroom Tofu Scramble!

Started Sunday off with a good leftovers roulette omelet with Friday's
Korean Mushroom Tofu, plus a squeeze of Sriracha for brunch.

And now a quick post for what's cooking this week. We are finally settling into a semblance of planning with grocery shopping and a good Sunday meal with Birdie. I've never been a slave to routine, but it is nice, finally, to have some consistency.

Proper Sunday Dinner with the Birdie
Bulgogi, rice, salad, since non-beef-eating birdie picked dinner last week. I do love the smell of meat and caramelizing shoyu on a Sunday afternoon.

See recipe at left. Thank you Birdie!

Bonus Sunday Baking by Birdie
We also had haupia brownies and peanut butter maple cookies.
Birdie says Haupia Brownies are Very Simple to Make.

Box of Chewy Brownie Mix (Duncan Hines)
One package of Haupia mix
Make the Haupia according to the directions and set aside. Make the brownie mix according to what the package says, and then swirl some haupia into the mix before baking. That Is All.

The cookies started off vegan, but since the only coconut oil in the house is used as a skincare product, we switched to the un-vegan butter. Look for a recipe and what we substituted next week.

#MeatlessMonday aka "Teeny Tiny Friday"
Sabih, with purchased pita and hummus from the Falafel Stop. Still worth the drive “all the way over” to Sunnyvale.

Stir Fry Tuesday
General Tso’s Chicken. A quick stir-fry with a recipe from awhile ago. Getting re-acquainted with some throwback favorites.

#LeftoversRoulette on Wednesday
Bulgogi Wraps with bean sprouts, but with the leftover short ribs. My Fitness Pal says I need more protein, so I'm heeding its advice! :)

Thursday
Quiche—spinach, artichoke hearts, red peppers, zucchini with Colby Jack this time. One for the empty nesters and one straight to the freezer. Not going to any of the birdies.

Aloha Friday—or it could be date night!
And with that, have a good week all!

What's Cooking This Week--Empty Nest Cadence

7/24/2017

Can you see the pickle mango?

It feels good to get back into a rhythm of cooking again, but boy, is it an adjustment. Two middle-aged adults eat significantly less than a family of four with two metabolism-busting children. But the upside is that foraging works much better and with zero parent guilt! Here's what's cooking this week.

Foraging in the Fridge Monday
The last of Mediterranean Lamb Stir Fry, tomatoes, bread and some cheese.

Grilling on Tuesday
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken and Yaki Corn. Short commute and Daylight savings means weekday grilling is in play!

Fish on Wednesday
Cornmeal Fish and My Daddy's Tartar Sauce. Note to self--tartar sauce, or some kind of condiment is a requirement. Plus salad.

Thursday Night with the 'Rents
La Paloma, a nice, homey, non-chain Mexican restaurant in Santa Clara. Another note to self--exercise extreme self-restraint on free AND unlimited chips and salsa.

Pie and new dishes. So fancy!

Friday is #MeatlessOneDay
Korean Mushroom Tofu, with bean sprouts and watercress from the Korean grocery, plus some kim chee and rice.

Bonus
A peach/raspberry pie and a boysenberry crumble pie from Avila Valley Barn Bakery. A convenient stop on the way back from Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo. Their sandwiches are also quite good.

Can you believe August is next week?! Have a great week all.

Eating Santa Barbara

7/23/2017

Perfect weather

When birdies leave the nest, Mamma birdie flies the coop!

We took a quick weekend in Santa Barbara. If you think Bay Area weather is great, Santa Barbara takes that to a whole 'nother circle of paradise (See left).

Visiting a nearly-grown child is different.

We had a preview with the elder birdie in Boston. THEY fit YOU into THEIR schedule and therefore, you don't see them a whole lot.

We do get to meet and feed some of their friends, and their friends seem to like us. On the plus side, they arrange spectacular ohana eating sessions, actually cook for you, and seem genuinely happy to see the old 'rents.

#MeatlessOneDay

So here's what happens--Birdie knows where to go!

Number One--Dinner and Dessert
We enjoyed a fantastic Mediterranean 'grown-up' dinner at Zaytoon in downtown Santa Barbara with birdie and assorted friends. Ate al fresco and that Santa Barbara weather--perfect temperature, very little humdity, no bugs, and evening sunshine. Food is ono and the raspberry lime soda is puckery perfection.

Post dinner, strolled around downtown Santa Barbara. I have concluded that people look so fancy here because there is a) great shopping, b) a bajillion restaurants, c) perfect weather, and d) McConnell's Ice Cream of Santa Barbara. No pictures because well, it was so good. Tried Earl Gray with shortbread cookies, Pistachio Amaretto, Eureka Lemon with Boysenberry, Peach, and Apricot and Cream. Recommend 'em all.

Caught by Pokemom

Number Two--Pokemon Abound
Awhile back, my children taught me two important millenial phenomena--SnapChat and Pokemon Go. Pokemon Go is a much improved experience where there are lots of college kids. See the cute Pikachu with Ash Ketchum hat, caught a block away from Birdie's nest. It is a bonus that Birdie patiently still puts up with you, even though Pokemon Go is no longer 'a thing' and has been replaced by Magikarp Jump. Yes, I downloaded Magikarp, but my fishies keep getting retired.

Number Three--Birdie Knows How to Cook!
My favorite and beloved husband subsisted on Hamburger Helper in college, and I had to learn to cook so my birdies wouldn't starve.

Birdie made us My Mom's Chicken Katsu, and has arugula, beets, and berries in his fridge, plus lots of eggs.

Fed by Birdie

Mamma birdie breathes a sigh of relief.

What’s Cooking This Week—Stocking the Freezer (Again)

4/10/2016

Enchi-lasagna

A very dear friend of mine recently asked, “Do you ever call it a night and have PB&Js for dinner?” The answer is actually no. Our Survivor dinners are cereal and milk, or takeout.

But not this week, as baby birdie has taken to cooking! Here's what's cooking this week, and not all by me.

Sunday
Nearly Meatless Enchiladas. I went lazy and instead of rolling enchiladas, my baby birdie and I stacked ‘em up like lasagna. The results were tasty, but not so pretty. Half to the freezer to try to avoid Cheerios and takeout.

#MeatlessMonday
Sabih and Greek Salad. We had a fantastic Israeli dinner at a friend’s house last week, and this is the Asian girl’s reasonable facsimile.

Tuesday is Dinner by Baby Birdie
My Mom’s Chicken Katsu, Weird Watermelon Salad and rice. Baby birdie even had a list for us to go shopping for. I love that kid.

Wednesday
Zippy’s Chili When You Are Far Away. I made on Sunday, so we’ll heat it up mid-week and then freeze the rest.

Takeout Thursday—Let the NHL Playoffs Begin!
Game 1 of the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings. Candidates for Takeout include Ike’s Sandwiches, Nick the Greek, or Nijiya Market.

Friday
Misoyaki butterfish or salmon and sekihan.

One mid-week dinner already made and two dinners for the freezer bank. Hockey playoffs starting. It’s going to be a good week.

What's Cooking This Week--Birdies Gotta Fly

3/29/2016

Just add eggs.

We had a full house this week, and all was well. But one of the most "oooh, my heart is full and heavy" moments was realizing that the birdies gotta fly--it's college notification week; they have learned how to cook and drive very, very far; and they are bigger than me. OK, that last one is not the least bit impressive. But it was a great week, and here's what's cooking.

Family Dinner by Birdie
Pillsbury Manapua and Weird Watermelon Salad. Shopped. Prepped and made by my baby birdie, with assistance from college birdie. Best comment from the dinner table after making ONE meal, “Wow, Mom, it’s pretty amazing that you did this for us every night for all the times we were little.” Parenthood FTW.

Traditional #Meatless Monday
Going with Shakshuka from Ottolenghi and Samimi. Made the sauce last night and it's doing its thing in the fridge today.

Tuesday
Romescu Chicken Sandwiches. We haven’t had this in quite awhile and it’s time to bring it back. Plus, we have a cilantro plant that’s exploding out in the front.

#LeftoversRoulette Wednesday
Guacamole with the aforementioned cilantro, plus the leftover red onion from Weird Watermelon Salad. Tropical Fruit Salsa and Carnitas (by crock pot).

Thursday
Seared Furikake Ahi, but with fresh ahi. We ended up making Omi’s Shoyu fish with the flash frozen ahi, which was fine, despite the very serious disconnect between photo and product.

Soup-er Friday
Corn Chowder. It is getting warmer, a good hearty chowder is always good comfort food after a full week.

They are not babies any more, yet they will always be my babies!

Not so sashimi. :P

Back with a Dinner Party

2/7/2016

Clearly, the time has gotten away from me.

It's been TWO MONTHS since my last update! What happened?! The holidays came and went in a blur, and a very-definitely-full-time-job that had me traveling about once a month.

I missed cooking and blogging.

So what better way to kick-off the "back to cooking with a vengeance" than with a full-blown Superbowl dinner party. I went with Mediterranean/Israeli. I also cooked for about twice as many people as actually showed up, but this is what it means to cook Hawaii-style.

Here's what we ate during Superbowl 50.

Chicken Shawarma
Steve's Lamb Chops
Pita and Hummus from the Falafel Stop
Greek Salad
Brownies and matcha mochi (thank you friends)
Chips and clam dip (thank you friends!)

Vegetables definitely took center stage this time.

Chard with Tahini Sauce

The first-time chard eaters did not revolt and even took leftovers home.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Onions, with Za'atar and Tahini

Za'atar is like Israeli furikake. You can sprinkle it on pretty much anything (including white rice) and it makes it better.

Definitely need to add this recipe, which is adapted from Tamimi and Ottolenghi.

Looking forward to getting back to cooking and blogging! Thank you all for hanging through the radio silence!

What's Cooking This Week--Dinner by Bookmobile

11/15/2015

Simple is sometimes best.

Every two weeks, the bookmobile comes to my workplace. This means new cookbooks and the occasional brain candy. This week, the ohana is guinea pig for a crock pot book of soups and an apple/pear cookbook. Perfect for the early nights and cooler weather.

Sunday
Pork Loin from Scratch, Bri's Butternut Squash with a sprinkling of Za'atar. A bonus of Apple/Parsnip/Onion Soup as a side soup, and Pear/Almond Clafoutis for dessert, both as experiments.

Monday is #MeatlessOneDay
French Onion Soup, crock pot version. It started on Sunday afternoon, and can be re-heated quickly after yoga class in evening. Experiment #2 is an Apple/Beet/Watercress Salad and some bread.

Tuesday
Salmon in a Bag. It's like a school lunch bag, only for dinner.

Wednesday is #DinnerByFreezer
A few of the Chicken Gyoza I made awhile ago. If it's cold they will be wonton soup. Otherwise, it will be crunchy gyoza and ponzu sauce with the fancy yuzu a friend got me from Japan.

Thursday
General Tso's Chicken and rice. A quick stir-fry for volleyball night.

Friday
Bacon Sweet Potato Galettes, another experiment. If it works out, it could be a Thanksgiving side.

Starting to think of old favorites and new ideas for Thanksgiving. Have a good week all!