Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles Adventure

November 12, 2020 by Alyssa D in main course

I put on sunglasses when the large buffet-style pans arrived at the table, not because of the light but the heat. This was my first experience going all-in on Sichuan cuisine. Two of the main courses swam in red oil piled high with vibrant chili peppers.

Protective eyewear was a must.

Our friends Dan and Carol had brought us to a Sichuan restaurant for lunch in the Portland area in the Before Times. Mostly I was excited, but honestly also slightly scared.

Savory Sweet Potato Cakes Adventure

October 16, 2020 by Alyssa D in appetizers, main course

This season seemed apocalyptic, and not just because of the pandemic. The sun shone orange through skies smoky from wildfires. So did the moon. Record heat. Snow. More heat. Illegal drag races tore around the neighborhood after midnight. Other nights, coyotes howled in the nearby open space.

I felt sapped and trapped, especially with all our windows closed tight against the unhealthy air.

During yet another suffocating week, I flipped through our “work in progress” recipes pile in a bid for mental escape. There were the sweet potato cakes from Yotam Ottolenghi’s vegetarian cookbook “Plenty.”

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Adventure

September 18, 2020 by Alyssa D in dessert

I was too young to fully understand the dessert in my hand. This was decades ago, in early Before Times, when an aptly-named bakery called Patisserie used to occupy a prime spot on Main Street in my hometown. Sometimes, after elementary school let out, Mom and I would walk over.

My favorite dessert from the case was kind of insane: two meringue discs bonded together with rich chocolate buttercream, and then a coating of the same buttercream along the edge rolled in chocolate sprinkles. Oh, yes.

Patisserie is long gone, but that particular sweet stuck in my memory. Despite visiting bakeries all over, I’d never found anything exactly like that meringue concoction. Now, this girl is no stranger to chocolate buttercream. Yet none of it recalled that delightful dessert of yore until a serendipitous recipe tweak.

Greek Cheese Pie Adventure

August 17, 2020 by Alyssa D in appetizers, main course

At Artopolis, my favorite Greek pastry shop in Astoria, Queens, I made an impulse purchase. Normally the friendly workers would open the glowing display of honey-soaked melomakarona cookies or pull out a tray of pistachio baklava. But this little basket of cheese-filled goodies called to me.

I remember barely getting out the door before rewarding myself with the flaky moon-shaped pastry. The interior was slightly briny from feta blended with other cheeses. Herbs made it sing.

Senegalese Hibiscus Drink Adventure

July 28, 2020 by Alyssa D in drinks

She transported me. I went from reading the horrific news in America and choking back tears to standing in her bright kitchen in Senegal, watching as she soaked hibiscus leaves for a refreshingly cool drink.

The lady behind the delightful Senecuisine blog, whose name I wish I knew but couldn’t find despite online searches, walked me through the steps to make “bissap juice,” which she calls, “the drink of all the occasions in Senegal.” Her recipe includes “orange blossom” and “sachets of vanilla sugar.” Yum.

Patient Pastitio Adventure

June 25, 2020 by Alyssa D in baking, main course

On a winter hiking trip in high school, I struggled to ascend the steep trail, sweaty and red-faced with an overstuffed pack. An older student saw me falter. She positioned herself directly in front of me and set a slow, methodical pace. Step, breathe, step, breathe.

With everything happening now, that old impatience is resurfacing. I want us, as a people, to get there already — the virus vanquished, systemic racism and bigotry excised, good defeating evil, the environment restored. Our packs are so full.

I realize that this might feel a bit heavy for a fun little food blog. *Takes a deep breath.*

You know what else is heavy? Pastitio.

Grilled Cauliflower Steaks Adventure

May 28, 2020 by Alyssa D in main course

I know, I know. You might be wondering, “Where’s the adventure in cauliflower?” Indeed, pulling the giant white vegetable hunk out of a grocery bag made my heart sink slightly.

For weeks up until that moment, we’d been trying to make do with bags of frozen cauliflower. Those epithet-laden meals prompted Guillaume to grab the first fresh one he could lay his hands on at the store.

Anything I did to it would automatically be better than microwaving the frozen cauliflower.

Choose Your Own Grilled Pizza Adventure

May 14, 2020 by Alyssa D in main course

We got word that the replacement part for our broken oven was backordered for several more weeks. Admittedly, I did not take this news well.

Even though the weather here in Colorado has occasionally been unseasonably warm, I longed for us to be able to bake again: chocolate wacky cake, olive oil cake, berry cupcakes, pudding chômeur, spanakopita, roasted broccoli and tofu, cheese and leek pie, lemon potatoes.

Instead, we counted our blessings that we still had a functional stovetop and hail-battered outdoor grill.

Homemade English Muffin Adventure

April 30, 2020 by Alyssa D in breakfast

Our oven broke. Guillaume said he smelled burned electronics and saw smoke. We tried preheating. The inside stayed cold.

There’s never really a good time for something like this to happen, but during a pandemic was a big blow. In the moment, I was inconsolable. My tears weren’t just about the oven, though. They were the dam breaking on mounting losses.

Weeks have passed. The wrong replacement part arrived by mail. We’re still waiting for the correct one. In the search for silver linings, we still had a working stovetop.

My Big Fat Greek Bean Adventure

April 14, 2020 by Alyssa D in main course

Spring holidays are normally a time to get together. I wish so badly that you could be here, welcomed with a hug and your drink of choice. Imagine an appetizer spread fit for an army. Dave Brubeck on the speakers. Comforting food smells emanating from pots and pans. Flowers. Fancy cutlery. Cloth napkins.

Instead, I have to hold onto this precious dream for a time when it’s safe to come out. In the meantime, we’ve held onto each other in our tiny kitchen. And gotten creative with limited ingredients.