Roasted Cabbage with Walnuts and Parmesan

I *finally* located some Savoy cabbage to be able to make this and I was very excited to try it.

Verdict: It was all right, but I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to make it again, especially because my partner wasn't a big fan of it.

------------------

RECIPE: Roasted Cabbage with Walnuts and Parmesan (Deb Perelman, Smitten Kitchen)

Korean Beef Bowl

Looking for a new dinner idea and had ground beef and a container of kimchi on hand, so I decided to make this.

Notes:

• I served it with kimchi on the side.

Verdict: It was quick and tasty! Partner loved it too. I would definitely have it again.

----------------------

RECIPE: Korean Beef Bowl (Chungah Rhee, Damn Delicious)

Matcha Latte Cookies

As a huge fan of matcha and matcha lattes (the flavor of matcha just works so well with dairy) I HAD to try these.

Notes:

• I found it unusual that the matcha is mixed with the vanilla extract rather than sifted into the dry ingredients, but the recipe author says it's to "bloom" the matcha flavor with alcohol. I do think it made a difference (the matcha tasted less bitter), but I'm used to the mild bitterness of the matcha so I don't know that I'd do it this way if I made it again. I personally found it kind of messy.
• There's a LOT of vanilla extract for one batch of cookies (1.5 TABLEspoons)and I found that combined with the above it almost felt like too much, like it overpowered the matcha a bit.
• I could also taste the peanut butter in the final product and I'm not sure I liked that. I might try a more neutral/complementary flavor nut butter next time, like almond butter.
• The ermine frosting was really interesting in a good way (milk flavored frosting sounded good) and I'm glad I got to try it with this recipe.
  

Verdict: They were pretty good but quite sweet. I prefer the taste without frosting, though the mix of textures of the cookie and frosting is really nice. While they were good, I think I like these matcha cookies better. But that's a personal opinion. I would make these again with the changes I listed above to see if I like them any better.

------------------

RECIPE: Matcha Latte Cookies (Eric Joonho Kim, NYT Cooking)

(Video version)

Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

This is the easiest way I've found so far to make this dish and had to note it here. The Chinese name for it is 蚝蠔芥蘭.

Notes:

• I had less vegetable to start with so I scaled down the recipe to fit what I had.

Verdict: This was really tasty! I knew before making it that I like this dish, and thought this version was really nice and easy to make. I would definitely make it again and this particular person really makes me want to learn more about Chinese cooking techniques. His father apparently worked in the restaurant business for most of his life as a cook/chef, and a big part of this person's reason for making a blog and videos is to document and share his father's extensive knowledge.

-------------------

RECIPE: Perfect Chinese Broccoli w/Oyster Sauce (Made with Lau)

(Video version)

Potato Kugel

This is another recipe I had on the "try" list for quite some time, and I thought it would go well with Christmas dinner (salmon and vegetables).

Notes:

• I learned to use the slicer disks on my food processor for this and there was a bit of a learning curve so the potatoes ended up different sizes.
• I served it with sour cream and fresh dill.
• I sliced leftover pieces of this lengthwise and pan fried it to go with breakfast eggs (and it was tasty).
  

Verdict: I would like to try making this again with a bigger grate on the potatoes (use the larger holes on the food processor, or maybe a box grater) and in a shallower pan. I think mine may have been too thick because it didn't get very crispy, and it also turned a little gray/brown so it didn't look as nice as the recipe author's.

---------------------

RECIPE: Potato Kugel (Deb Perelman, Smitten Kitchen)

Italian Rice and Peas (Risi e Bisi)

This is a dish I'd been meaning to try for a while, and it was additionally a good use of leftover Thanksgiving ham.

Verdict: Homey, comforting, and not hard to make though it was a bit time consuming. If I had the ingredients on hand I'd make it again.

------------------

RECIPE: Risi e Bisi (Hank Shaw, Simply Recipes)

Unstuffed Mushroom Casserole

I saw this pop up in the Smitten Kitchen newsletter and it sounded good and nice for cooler fall weather.

Verdict: Partner loved it. I thought it was good even though I am not a mushroom lover. If someone I know loved mushrooms and asked me to make them something I would definitely make it again.

---------------------

RECIPE: Unstuffed Mushroom Casserole (Smitten Kitchen)