The Full Kitchen

Culinary Adventures in a Tiny California Kitchen

West African Hot Red Pepper Sauce Adventure

December 19, 2024 by Alyssa D in appetizers, sauces, main course

Coping with fear is a deeply familiar struggle, especially lately. Much can go seriously wrong just in the kitchen. There were times I couldn’t take the heat, literally and figuratively.

As a kid, I was mixing herbs and spices together for a witchy potion and got cayenne pepper in my eye. Screaming ensued. You’d think adult me would know better, but Guillaume and I inadvertently produced tear gas during an experimental recipe involving extra hot Hatch green chile peppers.

Then, last summer, bright red habanero peppers covered our three leafy green potted plants like pre-decorated holiday trees almost overnight. Would they be welcome gifts or pure pain? I’d never been so scared of something I grew myself.

Baked Jalapeño Poppers Adventure

October 05, 2024 by Alyssa D in appetizers, baking

Gardening in California is ridiculous. One moment the jalapeños and habaneros were seeds, the next moment we were giving away a dozen peppers at a time to anyone willing to take them.

Several jalapeños turned red before we could harvest them. And they were hotter than hell in an experimental Greek yogurt dip. The green ones tended toward bell pepper mild with occasional surprises.

Our rapidly proliferating peppers required a big-batch recipe.

Green Gazpacho Adventure

August 24, 2023 by Alyssa D in appetizers

We had a mostly mild summer in the Bay Area, to the point where I felt a pang about wearing a cardigan on work calls while other areas grappled with searing heat. Several weeks had a local high of 72°F. Mid-July, we donned puffer jackets for outdoor dining in San Francisco.

Then the sun began beating down and our air conditioner rumbled to life. I craved something green and cool.

Avgolemono Greek Chicken Lemon Soup Adventure

December 22, 2022 by Alyssa D in main course, appetizers

Juan told us to pick as many ripe lemons as we wanted from his tree in the yard. I gently liberated three. This was an extra kindness since we’d just said that the house wasn’t quite right for us.

Moving from Colorado to Northern California has been wrenching at times, but the fresh lemons represented a silver lining. Amid the delightful food mashups — a taco truck that sells boba tea, curryritos, Indian pizza — we’ve discovered several eateries that offer avgolemono soup.

When prepared well, this Greek chicken and lemon soup is like a cozy sweater.

Smoked Salmon Blini Appetizer Adventure

May 27, 2021 by Alyssa D in appetizers

From November through a rainy, cold spring, the agreement with our neighbors was unspoken. Holiday string lights on porches and outdoor trees stayed up. Those twinkly lights still bring me comfort, even as the days get sunnier and freer.

There have been other holiday holdovers. Sometimes I’ll rewatch the festive series “Dash & Lily” on Netflix late at night. And we finally saw the “Great British Bake-Off” New Year’s special featuring the cast of “Derry Girls” long after ringing in 2021.

In that episode, the actors are challenged to make smoked salmon and beetroot blinis straight out of the Before Times. Passing around a plate of picturesque hors d’oeuvres? For more than a year, our “appetizers” were often chips we ate over the sink.

Springtime Savory Greek Leek Pie Adventure

April 26, 2021 by Alyssa D in appetizers, main course

Snow, again. Much though I’d normally rejoice at the coziness of flurries, this was not a welcome sight in April. Peering through the dining room window at giant flakes mounting on the tree limbs, outdoor chairs, and our battered grill, my exclamations startled the cat.

Forget about planting seeds and sipping rosé in the warm sun. Let’s go get the snow shovel.

On the bright side, the Greek cheese and leek pie from Rena Salaman’s “The Greek Cook: Simple Seasonal Food” felt just right.

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.”

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.

Stuffed Grape Leaves Redemption Adventure

August 21, 2018 by Alyssa D in appetizers

“Ooo! Did you make these?” And there were the Trader Joe’s Greek stuffed grape leaves, right out of the can, taunting me. “No, these came from the store. They’re pretty good, though.” Enough was enough.

The previous dolmathes I’d made from scratch using Rena Salaman’s recipe hadn’t worked. The first ones were perfectly cooked inside, but the grape leaves were still tough. A second attempt resulted in over-rinsing the leaves, making the final dolmathes super bland.

The third time had to be the charm.

British-American Teatime Adventure

May 22, 2018 by Alyssa D in baking, appetizers, breakfast

“What is the difference between British scones and American buttermilk biscuits?” We must have asked this question at least half a dozen times in the past couple weeks. Eggs? Butter? Amount of flour? Folding? Shape? Rising agents?

Ultimately the answer didn’t matter as we gobbled Guillaume’s high-altitude buttermilk biscuits shaped like mini scones and my assortment of tiny crustless tea sandwiches. Our spread included Marcona almonds, a bowl of fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries, and Pim’s orange cookies.

We’d waited long enough. Not just to eat, but to see Meghan and Harry get married. Although the latter was really just an excuse to make all this food.