The Initial Udon

Spicy Lemongrass Chicken Udon Soup

spicy-lemongrass-chicken-udon

Spring may have already sprung but the weather is still cold enough to warrant Spicy Lemongrass Chicken Udon. Warm and comforting, this soup is good all year long but is best served on chilly nights when you can fully appreciate it.

My dad and I often order udon noodles at Japanese restaurants but never make them at home.

Lemongrass is a flavor my family loves but never has at home.

I like enoki mushrooms in ramen at restaurants but never have them at home.

What better way to embrace these ingredients than to meld them together in flavorful soup?

Happily, these ingredients were inexpensive.

Four stalks of lemongrass = $0.30

One pack of large enoki mushrooms = $1.99

One pack of dried udon noodles = $1.50

Thank you 99 Ranch. You may have just opened but I’m officially adding you to my usual rotation of Asian grocery stores. (Don’t worry Asian Food Market and H-Mart, I still love you both!)

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Chickpeas, Spice Ease and Five C’s

Chicken Chickpea Curry with Cashew Butter and Coconut Milk

 
cashew-chicken-chickpea-curry
Curry is one of my favorite takeout meals, especially Thai Red Curry and Panang Curry, but it’s something I rarely make from scratch. However my mother had some leftover cashew butter that she didn’t know what to do with so a five C curry it was— Chicken, Chickpea, Cashew Butter and Coconut Milk Curry!

Actually there are another two C’s if you count the cardamom and coriander seeds. I figured I would try my hand at making curry paste this time so I picked up some whole spices at the Asian grocery.

It was fun, although it would have been far easier if I had a mortal and pestle to grind the toasted spices. I suppose I managed well enough with a plastic ziplock bag and a glass.
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Achin’ for Aachen

BAKED CHICKEN SCHNITZEL

Baked-Chicken-Schnitzel

As the summer heat gives way to cool autumn breezes, so ebb my cravings for light salads and water ice. Forget pumpkin spice— I want chicken noodle soup and spinach lasagna and all manner of hearty foods as cozy as the snuggly sweaters I can’t wait to wear.

And now that I’m thinking of hearty food, you know what I’m in the mood for?  

German food.

One of the last German restaurants I went to was in Germany a couple years back with one of my best friends Ellie. During our European adventure, we took a day trip to Aachen, a border-town with a long tradition of spas that can be traced back to the Romans.

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