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Recipes 2026 #1



Asides

Acquired did a 3+ hour episode about Trader Joe's.

I haven't tried many Carbone pasta sauces, but recently tried their "mac and cheese" style alfredo sauce with pappardelle, really good

Sarma Melngailis, the chef and subject of Bad Vegan, wrote her own book last year. It's interesting to me that many people (including me) would watch a documentary and have little interest in the book.

As the Ice Cream Churns made a mini return after four years. The couple returned to Ample Hills, left again, and now are starting a smashburger, fried chicken (plus possibly ice cream?) location.

I made Turkish eggs with cheesey bread as a side instead of sourdough. A lot of tastes and textures are going on with Turkish eggs already, so maybe this was not the best idea, but it worked for me.
During a recent Trader Joe's run, the cashier asked about my plans, and I explained Turkish eggs. Looking at photos and recipe posts, I first made this in April 2024, inspired by Reddit or to try making poached eggs. Did I just get my first restaurant Turkish eggs last year? Hmmm.

Minneapolis

I visited Minneapolis in December, just off of Nicollet Avenue. This was a pleasant visit obviously thrown into different context with the later ICE occupation. The Minneapolis Institute of Art was a pleasant surprise, especially considering it has free admission. It has info in multiple laguages, and has had a culturally sensitive redesign around indigenous art and artists. There was a modern quilt in the Southeast Asia section but I didn't find a huge presence compared to indigenous representation. On items from the Middle East and North Africa, the museum labels write "Islām", which is the first time I've seen that.

Highlights in food:

Fails

Creamy Lemon-Tarragon Salmon and Couscous

https://www.instagram.com/reels/DFfqJVEOs6I/

This was heavy on ingredients (tarragon, lemon, leeks, I used up creme fraiche instead of half-and-half) and in the end I most liked the couscous in broth, which I could make anytime. Maybe chickpeas is a good add-in.
The recipe implies a two-pan recipe where you make the salmon first, and then the couscous and cream sauce simultaneously, but that means the salmon sits for 15+ minutes? I attribute the weirdness to it being an ad for the pans.

Meals

Ají de Gallina

https://www.acozykitchen.com/aji-de-gallina

Forever ago there was a food truck outside my museum office which would make aji de gallina, lomo saltado, or a thick burger with runny egg. So I was glad to make one of those at hone.
This was my first recipe to poach and shred chicken, and that worked well to cook with the celery and carrots. I bought a jar of Peruvian chili paste, and made a sauce with just chili + heavy cream + fried onions. Very filling because you are eating it with rice, veggies, egg, etc.

Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies

https://butternutbakeryblog.com/butterscotch-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Trying to mix up the recipes a little. I made a half recipe with a full egg, hand-mixed, and they ended up being kind of puffy cookies in a good way.

Coconut Beef Curry

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1027320-coconut-beef-curry?unlocked_article_code=1.qk8.VEoc.ElktSHNJH3BK&smid=share-url

Takes a long time to cook. I found a chuck steak at my supermarket and this seems like a good way to eat it. Substituted whatever chilis I had available. I'd say this reminded me of beef stroganoff and was not particularly interesting.

Creamy Miso Mushroom Pasta

Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/DR0ZyjnktEC/
Recipe: https://www.riemcclenny.com/recipe/misomushroompasta

This was really good. I thought the leek was burning a bit, and then the mushrooms were big chunks, but once the pasta water was in there everything cooked nicely.
How I got the recipe: I was watching a BuzzFeed video, and it reminded me of some of their old cooking videos and the name "Rie" popped into my head. I followed her on Instagram, and she had posted this recipe.
I've gotten creme fraiche in a BlueApron box, but this was my first time buying it at the store (near fancy refrigerated cheeses at Whole Foods, not in the sour cream / skyr / creamer / alternative dairy section). Rie makes a point that it's better than heavy cream for this pasta cream sauce.

Creme Fraiche Salmon Pasta

https://thehealthfulideas.com/creme-fraiche-salmon-pasta/

I picked up creme fraiche on another Whole Foods run. This was a less flavorful pasta sauce, but baking a big piece of salmon in the oven, and using some of my capers, were both wins.

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1027371-jalapeno-cheddar-cornbread

I didn't get jalapeño ready in time. Thin crunchy crust, very buttery, sweats a butter or oil even.

Korean Fried Chicken

https://www.thekitchn.com/korean-fried-chicken-recipe-23675136

Made a version of this, though I skipped the glaze and garnish. My plan was to use Trader Joe's yangnyeom sauce and (a) it was good but (b) the yangnyeom had a smell and texture more like a BBQ sauce or a soy sauce. I added extra gochujang.

Peanut Butter French Toast

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/213730/peanut-butter-french-toast/

I was pleasantly surprised how the peanut butter melted into the mixture. You don't have to make a stuffed french toast or anything crazy.

1932 Peanut butter loaf

https://www.reddit.com/r/Old_Recipes/comments/cqwuq1/comment/ex08q5g/

Someone said it's like a peanut butter cookie, and I agree. Not entirely that sweet or crunchy, but a good mild flavor.

Basics

Finally made Paneer Ruby with deggi mirch chili powder for added color. It was alright but not mindblowing.

I tried the "Zanzibar" simmer sauce from Kitchens of Africa. It had a good spice which I'd compare to restaurant biryani, even though the ingredients are chilis, coconut milk, and peanut butter.

Trader Joe's had some 'festive' ravioli, which they suggest serving with a little olive oil. I added a burrata, and a spoonful of Calabrian chili peppers.

Wanted to do blackened chicken, ended up baking chicken breast + breadcrumbs + Cajun seasoning. This went really well! Maybe I've been unlucky with breading stuff in the past or breaded stuff which was too cold.

I ordered a 5-pound bag of frozen Turkish ravioli (manti) and tried making the garlic yogurt + chili oil dish. Future plating inspiration

Once in a while I get a big pork loin from the supermarket to roast in the oven. One time I wanted to spice up the leftovers, so I fried jalapeño, added garlic, added eggs, and then finally small pieces of pork and enchilada sauce. I tried two burritos, one with guac, one with cotija cheese. Though this recipe was a psychological win, I also would have liked the leftovers without anything extra.