Cooking Method: Simmering

Spicy Miso Ramen

I got a text from my friend Barbee in San Francisco asking if she could substitute white miso paste for red. She was making this Spicy Miso Ramen that she found in an article titled Selena Gomez Dishes on Her Favorite 'Comfort Foods' and Learning to Cook in Quarantine in People magazine!
Miso Paste 101
Red miso is the saltiest, most pungent variety. You only need a little bit to add some serious umami to your dishes. It's typically made with fermented soybeans and barley or another grain and is saltier than white miso. It ranges from dark brown to red in color
White miso (which is actually light yellow in color) is made with fermented soy beans and rice. It's fermented for a short period of time, which makes it more mild and sweet in taste. Since it's the most mild kind of miso, it's also the most versatile. If you're buying only one miso to use in a bunch of recipes, this is the best choice.

Anyway, she said it was absolutely delicious!

By Leslie Blythe

Autumn Pumpkin Turkey Chili

I decided to make this Autumn Pumpkin Turkey Chili so that I could jumpstart my favortite time of year. I overheard my husband talking to my daughter on the phone saying that "Mom is making some kind of weird chili that invovles a can of pumpkin purée". I have to say when I was shopping for ingredients for dinner, I was on the fence as to whether to use chunks of pumpkin/butternut squash instead. I decided to try it. My husband said it was delicious and went back for seconds!

I have provided 3 different methods of making this dish - stovetop, slow cooker and Instant Pot. It's the perfect thing for a chilly night, which I can only dream about living in LA. It is supposed to top 100° F this weekend!

By Leslie Blythe

Chicken with Jezebel Sauce

Jezebel Sauce has been popular in the south since the 1950s. It is a sweet and spicy sauce. The original recipe used a combination pineapple preserves and peach preserves and also sometimes apple jelly. I just used apricot preserves, but it’s up to you. It also has some horseradish and mustard powder, which gives it a spicy zing.

Jezebel, the evil Phoenician princess in the ninth century BC, has come to be known as an archetype of the wicked woman!

You can serve it over crackers with cream cheese, dipping sauce for coconut shrimp, fried seafood, and eggrolls.

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Caramelized Onion Jam

My daughter Zoe sent us a jar of onion jam from the east coast and it turns out it's not readily available on the west coast. We liked it so much, that I decided to make it myself. Here is my version of Caramelized Onion Jam. It's really good on grilled cheese, quesadillas, or just cheese.

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Tuscan Portobello Stew

This Tuscan Portobello Stew is vegetarian, but you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone, meat-eater or otherwise, who doesn't love it. Did you know the portobello is really a brown crimini mushroom? Once the little crimini grows up to be about 4" - 6" in diameter, it becomes a portobello. The portobello in Northern Italy is called "cappellone" which means "big hat". This stew is wonderfully rich, but only has about 310 calories per serving. I suppose adding the big hunk of crusty bread might take it over the edge! The recipe calls of dried herbs, but I used fresh.

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Venetian-Style Sweet-and-Sour Ragù

My husband and I spent the day making meat sauces for the freezer. We made this Venetian-Style Sweet-and-Sour Ragù, which I have to say is about the best meat sauce EVER! I made it in the Instant Pot, but have also included the stovetop instructions. You can put it on pasta, but we put it on a sliced ciabatta, fresh mozzarella, golden raisins, and crispy fried sage leaves. You put it under the broiler and OMG!!! The flavor is absolutely incredible.

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Hot Honey

This Hot Honey ticks all the boxes for me - sweet and spicy. There are many ways to use it. One of my favorite ways is to use it on pepperoni pizza, really, it is fantastic. You can drizzle it on roasted vegetables, cheese, fried chicken, mix it in salad dressing, desserts, fruit... I, of course, used the hottest chiles, but you can make it to taste.

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Buffalo Style Sloppy Joes

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Beets In Orange-and-Lemon Sauce

I happen to love beets. I found this recipe for Beets in Orange-and-Lemon Sauce in one of my old cookbooks. When I served it to my husband and daughter Grace, they took one bite and said "WOW"! I have to admit they were incredible. The fresh citrus gives it a wonderful tart flavor which works really well with the sweetness of the beets.

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Spicy-Sweet Sambal Pork Noodles

My daughter has a friend at Bon Appétit and he told her this was the best recipe they published this year. She made it and called me immediately to say it was the best thing she's ever eaten! So I made it last night and yes, these Spicy-Sweet Sambal Pork Noodles are all that and a bag of chips as my husband says. It's so good that you should make the full recipe. Apparently, it's even better the next day. Sambal is an Indonesian chili sauce or paste.

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