There’s this little Greek restaurant in Sacramento (Opa! Opa!—and you must say it in an excited voice) that has incredibly garlicky hummus. It’s fantastic. I wanted the same punch of garlic in this dish, so I added it in the form of an aioli—which is basically a...

I love pretty food, and I’m a very visual person. Sometimes I add certain vegetables to a recipe solely to add color. In this case I chose orange and yellow bell peppers and green snow peas so I could add them to the red from the chillies and create a rainbow. Nerdy?...

In the early years of my marriage—when my husband and I ate fast food more often—I had a “usual” at a nearby Chinese food place: orange chicken, stir-fried vegetables, and chow mein. I really, really loved their orange chicken. But since learning about food-processing...

My seven-year-old was researching Micronesia for a school project, and, much to my delight, was required to bring a dish to share. After pulling her away from the cakes and desserts she found after a quick Internet search, I convinced my little sweet-toothed daughter...

Attempting to re-create a classic Chinese dish full of umami flavors is quite a task when soy sauce isn’t an option. You’ll see a couple of not-so-traditional ingredients in this: coconut aminos and fish sauce. They give this a deep, salty underlying flavor that is...

My seven-year-old was researching Micronesia for a school project, and, much to my delight, was required to bring a dish to share. After pulling her away from the cakes and desserts she found after a quick Internet search, I convinced my little sweet-toothed daughter...

Store-bought curry paste is a great time saver. Its wide range of spices and seasonings makes it a solid foundation for a good curry. You can find it in the Asian section of most grocery stores or in an Asian market. Be sure to read the label to make sure there aren’t...

Marinating chicken overnight in coconut milk and spices really gives a boost of flavor! Garam masala is a common Indian spice blend and is now widely available in the spice section of many grocery stores. If you have a well-stocked spice cabinet, you may have the...