Vegetables Wellington Adventure Part Two: Double the Madness

November 04, 2018 by Alyssa D in main course

At just about the halfway point in my preparations for the first vegetables Wellington, after I’d cracked my head against the freezer door handle but before the four-hour-long music mix had started repeating, I had to stop.

Nearly every surface in our cramped kitchen was covered with ingredients, bowls, measuring implements, wooden spoons, baking sheets, the overworked mini food processor, pots and pans. In that moment, I couldn’t take any more.

Holding up the glass bottle of caramel-colored liquid in one hand and a narrow shot glass in the other so Guillaume could see, I declared, “It’s come to this.”

Vegetables Wellington Adventure Part One: “Fake Bacon”

October 22, 2018 by Alyssa D in sides

Me: “This might be the most insane thing I’ve ever attempted in the kitchen.” Pause. “I foresee crying.” Guillaume: “I do, too.”

Let’s rewind slightly. For the better part of four years I’ve wanted to make J. Kenji López-Alt’s highly involved vegetables Wellington recipe every time autumn rolls around. With an ingredient list longer than my arm, an optimistic total active time of four hours, and a caution about the high difficulty level, this recipe is not messing around.

But when I initially polled friends about their interest in the plant-based holiday roast, responses ranged from “no thanks” to “meh.” So I put it on the backburner. Until now.

Kimchi Carbonara Noodles Adventure

October 12, 2018 by Alyssa D in main course

I hugged the giant plastic tub of kimchi to my chest and tried to twist off the top. Nothing happened. Some bubbles from the fermentation rose lazily through the cabbage.

This was “young kimchi” and, like many a youngster, it was giving adults a hard time. Guillaume had brought the wonderful find back from H-Mart and, despite his stronger grip, he couldn’t liberate the tub, either. The bottom bulged. We wondered if it might be over-packed. Come on, kimchi.

Grilled Summer Veggie Lasagna Adventure

August 26, 2018 by Alyssa D in baking, main course

We couldn’t find the Japanese eggplant. I don’t know if Pacific Ocean Market was out or if they weren’t in season, but we’d driven too far to this store to come away empty-handed.

Reading Kenji’s summer vegetable lasagna recipe made me want to prepare it straight away, and he specifically called for Japanese eggplant. Guillaume, who’s not the biggest eggplant fan to start, pointed to a package of round dark purple softball-sized vegetables labeled Indian eggplant. “How about these?” he suggested.

It was the discovery that changed everything.

Yiayia’s Spanakopita Adventure

April 09, 2018 by Alyssa D in baking, sides

Mom sent me on a mission as a kid. I was to watch Yiayia as she made spanakopita and find out how she did it. I’d like to say that I took detailed notes that afternoon and the experience launched my journalism career. That was not the case.

Yiayia worked deftly. The whole thing was a blur.

Springtime Asparagus Soup Adventure

March 22, 2018 by Alyssa D in main course, sides

You know the feeling from traveling of being tired, smelly, and so hungry that you’re not sure what to do about any of it? That was the situation my dear friend Laurel and I found ourselves in after driving across the country from east to west back in the day.

Her Grampa Phil welcomed us in Moraga, California, and helped us decide by offering lunch right away. He fed us bread and homemade asparagus soup that was so creamy and lemony, I couldn’t believe it had so few ingredients when he shared the recipe.

North African Stew with Preserved Lemon Adventure

March 11, 2018 by Alyssa D in main course

In the post-holiday season, we started seeking out more vegetable main dishes. They didn’t have to be low-calorie or anything, we’d just eaten a lot of meat and it was time for a break.

While searching for vegetable stew recipes, I suddenly remembered that my mom used to make a veggie stew with couscous when I was a kid. Dad emailed a scan of the cookbook recipe with a note that said, “North African Stew — a vegetarian dish that looks as if it has meat in it but doesn’t!” Mom warned that it made a lot.

Grown-Up SpaghettiOs Adventure

March 01, 2018 by Alyssa D in main course

Confession time: I love hotdogs. Oh, you mean just the best, right? No, I love all kinds of hotdogs — the ones that win taste tests and the ones few would recognize. The plump franks grilled in the summer, the free hotdogs given out for a customer appreciation day, even tofu dogs.

Hotdogs held a special place in my heart as a kid and they’re still a treat, which is why they’re figuring into this grown-up SpaghettiOs business.

Homemade Pasta Adventure

February 03, 2018 by Alyssa D in main course

Who prepares homemade pasta one weekend because it sounds like fun? Someone who received a stand mixer pasta roller attachment as a lovely gift and needs success in the kitchen after weeks of meh experimental dishes and bread baking disasters.

Watching the questionable pasta dough hunk crawl up the hook and nearly jump out of the bowl started giving me second thoughts. Freaking dough. Again.

Korean Grocery Store Adventure

August 28, 2017 by Alyssa D in main course

This adventure starts with a mysterious memory. Recently a friend gave us a free trial of a meal kit delivery service. More curious than committed, we cooked several dishes for two from the box. One of them involved Korean rice cakes.