This banana cake was sooooo good! I usually make banana bread from overripe bananas, but this time I wanted to try something a little more special. But first, let me tell you a little bit about where my inspiration came from….
Quick and Simple Bibimbap Comfort Bowl
My true comfort foods will always be Japanese and Korean rice dishes. I like to ask people in my family whether they would give up rice or noodles if forced to choose, and most of them say they’d give up rice and keep the noodles. As for me, I could NEVER give up rice. I can eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and, as I’ve recently learned, as a midnight snack after a night of drinking (just heat it up with some butter, soy sauce and sesame oil – it’s the best!!!). One of my favorite rice dishes is the Korean classic bibimbap. At Korean restaurants, I love getting it in a dolsot pot, which makes the rice on the bottom and sides all crispy. Mmmm soo good, definitely the best part. Also, bibimbap is packed full of vegetables so I never feel bad going to town on it.
…
Shakshuka
I first tried Shakshuka at the French restaurant across the street from my apartment. The idea of eggs baked into tomato sauce with peppers sounded very appealing, and I love dishes where dipping bread is an essential part of the meal (cioppino, bouillabaisse, chili, etc.). I loved it, and so I set out to make my own at home.
…
Dominique Ansel Kitchen
Summer is here! And so was National Doughnut Day! All day on Friday, my Instagram feed was bombarded with the most delicious looking doughnuts. I kept seeing posts with details for where you could score some free ones, but alas I remained at my desk.
Then, after a wallet-friendly dinner of leftovers, I decided to venture to the west side to visit the Dominique Ansel Kitchen. I had been trying to make it here for several weekends, entirely to try the burrata soft serve that had also been teasing me over Instagram, but I unfortunately confused the Bakery with the Kitchen and found an unreasonably long line for pastries I wasn’t even looking for. So, finally I learned that the ice cream window is located next to the Kitchen, and we headed off for a Friday night treat.
Like I said, I was just there for the ice cream, but then Rich pointed out a display of adorable matcha beignets…..and I thought to myself, “OH MY GOSH, I’M ACTUALLY GOING TO SUCCESSFULLY PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL DOUGHNUT DAY!!!!” After a long day of debating stopping to pick up doughnuts on my way home from work, this made my self-restraint totally worth it.
…