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By the time you read this I will be somewhere in the air on my way home to Kansas. I’ve written in the past about my carefully packed snacks for flying. This time around my airplane snack bag includes crispy chickpeas…. I’d read a number of blog posts by professional bloggers that made a [...]The post Pan-Fried Crispy Chickpeas with Lime appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
Yesterday I told my husband that I “pinned” a recipe from a magazine. What I really meant was that I tore the page out and stuck it on the fridge. Is that a sign of too much Pinterest-ing? Wait – don’t answer that. I have been seriously excited to share this recipe with you. There’s nothing [...]The post Crispy Skillet Hash Browns with Fried Eggs and Arugula appear
Shouldn’t adults get a summer vacation? I’ve been thinking lately that we really all could use a few weeks to sleep late, go for picnics, and spend hours in the swimming pool. How can we make that happen? While I work out a plan to implement a summer-vacation-for-adults policy, I’ll be serving picnic-worthy meals like [...]The post Roasted Red Pepper and Ricotta Bruschetta appe
I’d really like to spend this post lamenting the fact that the weekend is over and that Monday snuck up so darn fast. That’s not going to do either of us any good, so instead I’m going to focus my energy on what fun Frank and I had the past couple days and, more importantly, [...]The post Sriracha White Bean Dip with Sesame Pita Chips appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
Two things were inevitable today. 1) I would leave work at the exact moment that the sky opened and poured buckets over the rush hour commute and 2) we would be having sandwiches for dinner. Sandwich night has become a near certainty on Thursday nights thanks in no small part to the return of our [...]The post Snow Pea, Radish and Edamame Salad with Sesame Vinaigrette appeared first on Inquiring
Just your average, run-of-the-mill Memorial Day weekend… complete with a miniature watermelon from our CSA a mess of biscuits (make these – you won’t be sorry) date night at Hyde and Seek (they serve a slice of brie with a flaming cinnamon stick and the whole thing smells like creamy campfire cinnamon rolls) hosting a wine [...]The post The Little Things: Memorial Day Weekend app
How is it already Memorial Day weekend? I love celebrating this long weekend here in Bangkok because by late May, in the sweatiest depths of hot season, we need very little excuse to have a barbecue, hang out by the pool, and sip cold drinks. We’re also several weeks in to seeking out meals that [...]The post Pasta Salad with Feta, Tomato, Kalamata Olives and Sweet Basil Vinaigrette appeared fir
I just have a minute this morning. I’m running out the door and on my way to Northern Thailand for work for a couple days. Before I go though I wanted to share this dressing that I am declaring the official salad dressing of summer in the Inquiring Chef household. Sweet Basil Vinaigrette will be [...]The post Sweet Basil Vinaigrette appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
It’s steamy out, but there are signs that rainy season might be coming. A morning downpour nixed my plans for a swim. But things cleared up in time for fried chicken and gyoza. And happy hour…with this little dog as a drinking mate. Sunday morning smoothies. Sweet cherry tomatoes that must be soaking up [...]The post The Little Things: Rainy Season? appeared first on Inquiring
I bought more mangos. Are we surprised? Chopped and tossed with chills, scallions, cilantro and lime, this is one of those salsas that is made for summer grilling. The other day I fired up put my little grill pan and realized that this silly pan is one of my favorite kitchen tools. I bought the [...]The post Marinated Chicken Skewers with Mango Salsa appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
Before this coffee cake, I thought that I wasn’t really a coffee cake person. It’s not that I dislike it – I mean, who doesn’t like cake for breakfast? But there were just so many things I thought I would like to have for breakfast even more. But Frank and I have fallen into a [...]The post Raspberry Almond Coffee Cake appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
A few things have been happening around here lately. Spring-themed things. It started when Frank bought a pair of seersucker pants. I picked him up at a coffee shop on Friday after work, and felt an overwhelming desire to buy a big hat and find us some mint juleps. For the next week I put [...]The post Corkscrew Pasta with Asparagus and Crispy Bacon appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
Thai class. Learning to speak Thai has been, in a word, humbling. The Thai language continues to elude me, but seeing as I do live here, I’m not giving up any time soon. I was sitting in my language class this week, feeling utterly lost, and craving chocolate. Because isn’t chocolate an obvious solution for [...]The post Creamy Chocolate Coconut Layer Bars appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
Monday was Coronation Day in Thailand, so we had one of those long, leisurely holiday weekends. We kicked it off with post-work drinks at a new spot high over the city. I was so smitten with the view that I dropped my purse on the ground and broke the entire bottle of kalamata olives I [...]The post The Little Things: Long Weekend appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
A few years ago a group of women gathered for a bachelorette party. It wasn’t an entirely traditional bachelorette party, and we began it in what was not an entirely traditional sort of way. Making gnocchi. The bride-to-be, my good friend Sarah, is an excellent cook. One of our final dinners before moving to Bangkok [...]The post Ricotta Gnocchi with Herbed Butter and Bacon appeared first on
I sort of assumed that writing about what I eat for dinner would mean I would never struggle with the question – “what’s for dinner?”. Surely, after a year or two of writing a food blog, I’d have built up enough of a repertoire that I could easily come up with an answer to that [...]The post Black Bean and Goat Cheese Enchilada Skillet appeared first on Inquiring Che
My ode to mangos last week rendered me incapable of passing the fruit without buying some. (Which, of course, is a pretty common occurrence around here.) I never had strong feelings about mango before I lived in Thailand. Now I love them more every day. I ran yesterday morning and picked up these beauties before breakfast. All [...]The post Mango Lassi appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
There are few things as satisfying as hitting snooze on a Monday morning. Except, perhaps, hitting snooze on a Monday morning during a raucous thunderstorm. And then hitting it a few times after that. And thus began my week. How is yours going so far? I’m going to make this short and sweet tonight because [...]The post Southwestern Meatballs in Easy Adobo Sauce appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
This time of year in Bangkok – at the peak of the hot season – everything seems to revolve around the heat. It creeps into every conversation, and this blog is no exception. There are some great things that come with the hot season though, and at the top of the list are Thai New [...]The post Mango Recipes – Smoothies, Noodles, and more appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
Since moving abroad, I’m not always up on the latest “thing”. At a week or so away from turning 32, I don’t expect myself to be all that in-the-know, but thanks to Pinterest and Facebook and blogging, occasionally I notice that I’ve completely missed something has become very popular. I think Gangnam Style had 500 [...]The post Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Roast Cashews a
As much as I sometimes lament that I miss the change of seasons that I grew up with (and the produce that comes with that…berries, oh how I miss berries), there are some definite perks of living in a hot climate. Some of that summertime produce has found its way to Thailand and is available [...]The post Mexican Corn Cakes appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
My apartment is near a very busy street with six lanes of traffic. It’s a typical city spot where the sound of motorbikes roaring past in the morning drowns out most everything and the foot traffic is usually local people headed to and from work. Yesterday I passed a cluster of people who looked like [...]The post No-Bake Speculoos Pie (Biscoff Pie) appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
No matter how excited I get about finding a great recipe like a citrus honey cake made with polenta or the perfect whole wheat pancakes, I still love all the experimenting that goes into discovering something new. It strikes me that there are two ends of the spectrum when it comes to cooking. On the [...]The post Black Bean and Quinoa Veggie Burgers appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
One of the first cookbooks I owned was Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris. Have you seen this book? I was easily sold on the photos of beautiful, simple food, and even more easily sold on the photos of Paris. I received the cookbook right around the same time that I came home from a semester [...]The post Herbed Baked Eggs appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
Something unique happens twice every day during rush hour on Bangkok’s public train system (BTS). At exactly 8am and 6pm the national anthem begins to play and people stop walking to listen and show respect. No matter how fast you are moving, when the music plays, you stop, and you listen. It’s such an impressive [...]The post Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps appeared first on Inquiring Ch
I could smell the salt air before I could see the water. At the pier, boats sunk deeper into the water as groceries and bags were loaded aboard. Giddy travelers waited in the shade, swapping sneakers for sandals. I gladly handed over my luggage (weighed down by a pool-towel-wrapped bottle of rum) and breathed in [...]The post Koh Lipe, Thailand appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
Since my early 20s I’ve lived in places where people vacation. In Washington D.C., I rode the metro to work half-asleep and surrounded by bright-eyed students buzzing with excitement over maps of the city’s monuments. In Bangkok, schlepping home in business attire, I pass red-shouldered visitors in sundresses. It’s part of the fun, and occasionally [...]The post Salmon and Edamam
The sky over Bangkok has been low and grumbly for the past two days. It’s a good reminder of how fortunate we are for the sunshine and warmth here this time of year. I feel particularly fortunate for our sunshine in March. March is a month in need of a few “extras”. For me, it’s [...]The post Guinness Stout Chocolate Cupcakes appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
Every Wednesday since the year before our wedding, Frank and I have a date-night. Except in the cases of soak-you-to-the-bone rainstorms or illness, we go out for dinner on those nights. And on those Wednesday nights, over fragrant Szechuan, spicy Thai salads, or plates of tapas, we hit pause on the week and do some [...]The post Orange and Honey Polenta Cake appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
Early last week I was in Prachinburi, two and half hours’ drive to the east of Bangkok, near Cambodia. It is a vast, elegant province of rice fields and quiet communities in which it was easy to imagine that neighbors might have known neighbors for generations. We made our way back towards Bangkok at the [...]The post Frank’s Laab Moo (Thai Salad with Pork, Herbs, and Lime) appeared first on
Spirit House Shrimp at Supanniga Eating Room Friday night cocktails any Saturday morning this month (Whole Wheat Pancakes) Winter Cooking? No winter for us…. TweetThe post Little Things: Embracing the Heat appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
How do you feel about beets? I wonder because it was only recently that it occurred to me that not everyone is a fan of these sweet, toothsome globes. Over Christmas I met the two friends I’ve known longer than any others for lunch at André’s in Kansas City. A cozy café filled that smells of [...]The post Beet and Feta Tabbouleh appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
Happy Monday! Surely you wouldn’t be surprised to learn that this blog is a two person operation. (The dish-washing and taste-testing alone require a team effort.) To kick off the week, Frank is stepping out from behind-the-scenes with his first post on Inquiring Chef. There will be more to come. Enjoy! - Jess Almost [...]The post Shuffle Bangkok appeared first on Inquiring Chef.
This humble loaf of banana bread is about to get a serious upgrade. I’ve always been equal parts intrigued and intimidated by cake pops. It’s not the general concept that throws me (combining cake from a mix and frosting seems do-able), but it’s the thought of keeping them on sticks that I’m not so sure [...]
I’m in a haphazard place with dinner-making this week. We’ve been great about menu-planning and stocking the fridge on Sundays. But on my commute home from work, I keep deciding to stray from the plan. It’s resulting in a lot of improvisational meals. Last night I planned a vegetarian stew and instead made miso soup [...]
While it seems that many are looking in the direction of recipes for Valentine’s Day, my brain is firmly planted in the world of Chinese New Year. It is one of my favorite meals of the year, in part because my family piled around the kitchen counter to make it together. It took a lot [...]
This is now our third Superbowl spent away from the U.S. I miss the football a bit, and I miss the weekend getaway we had with friends the weekend before the Superbowl a lot, and of course, I miss the snacks that are everywhere this time of year. Who doesn’t love an excuse to eat [...]
This week it was a very good thing that I don’t have a car. I couldn’t have been trusted on the roads. I’ve been absentminded to the max. Sunday night I fell asleep with only ten pages left to read in this magnificent (and rather intense) book, and I’ve since lost the book. In my [...]
It’s been ages since my last little things post, but here’s a glimpse of life around here this past week. chocolate-filled blondie trial and error a Friday night walk home from work homes over the canal a greener side of Bangkok thank you to Beervana for bringing Bangkok better beers (and mason jars in which [...]
I’m short on words today. It’s a Monday. You know how those can be. I wasn’t quite ready to say farewell to a peaceful weekend with its pancake mornings, coffeeshop afternoons, and the cool feel of church pews in an evening with just enough breeze to make its way through the wide double doors. Last night [...]
Saturday morning, after I told Frank that I needed to make these exact pancakes, the recipe for which my Dad had just sent me, he just smiled and nodded and said, “Of course. Breakfasts are a big deal in your family.” Although I never really thought about how much we like a good breakfast ritual, [...]
A confession. What I eat when I’m alone can rarely be defined as “a meal”. I think others of you are with me in this. I lived alone for years and (oddly) during that time I ate a “real” dinner most every night. Relatively well-rounded, and always served on a plate, I never understood what [...]
The return from the holiday season in the U.S. to our regular rhythm has set in quietly (albeit, as always, a bit too soon). I’m finding comfort in the routines. Early alarms and dark morning walks to the gym again define the start to my days and simple dinners at our kitchen counter conclude them. [...]
There’s a lot of good going on around here today. At the top of the list are certainly my sweet husband who took great care of me over the weekend and the welcome fact that I am kicking this travel-induced illness out the door. Dinner tonight was a lot of good as well. I’m glad [...]
It’s been a quiet weekend of recovery here. I picked up some strange brand of flu on the flight back to Bangkok, and the result is that my physical state has fallen in line with my emotional one. It was hard leaving the time zones that hold our families and so many of our friends. [...]
The New Year is here and the standard greeting in Bangkok has turned to “Sawadi Pii Mai” (Happy New Year)! I thought I’d do two categories of favorite posts this year. The first, are the most visited recipe posts on the site – reader favorites. But once I sorted through those, I realized that there [...]
goat cheese, shrimp, avocado, arugula, oranges at Gram and Dun tea and technology with my sister Stroud’s for fried chicken my mom’s Kansas City rib tasting party Kansas City ribs (and sauce) Strawberry Hill Povitica (a Kansas City tradition) Christmas Find other “little things” posts here. Tweet
Since I’ve been home in the U.S., everything feels shiny and new. Everything tastes amazing. The cold fresh air feels brilliant on my cheeks. I catch myself constantly thinking how good, and friendly and reasonable everyone I encounter is. I am literally seeing everything through rose-colored glasses. Particularly being home now, with snow on the [...]
Even though I shared most of our Seattle trip here, I couldn’t resist a few more pictures… Pike Place Market Rose Petal Jelly (used two week sago by Top Chef’s Stefan and Brooke to make a duck and braised cabbage with which the judges were not so pleased) Beecher’s Mac and Cheese Lagunitas (in mason jars) [...]
We landed in Seattle early last Saturday morning. Being home in the U.S. was sort of overwhelming at first – in the very best way that overwhelming can be. If you have ever traveled outside of your home country, you know how this feels. It’s comforting and invigorating to return to the place that you [...]
