Author Archives: shelly

About shelly

Exploring the vast culinary jungles of the San Francisco Bay Area, and my own kitchen. Khaki shorts and safari hat optional.

Iraqi meat latkes

Evan loves these. He claims not to like potatoes, but he devours latkes. There’s something about the grated potatoes in them that gives these meat patties a delicate texture. Last time, I made them with a cup of parsley, as … Continue reading

Posted in main dishes, mideastern | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Iraqi meat latkes

how to eat a pomelo

First, choose a beautiful pomelo that feels a little heavy for its size. If it’s heavy, it’s juicy, and your fingers, chin, and the corners of your mouth will be dripping with its sticky-sweet acid dew.  Next, cut the cupola … Continue reading

Posted in thoughts | Tagged , , | Comments Off on how to eat a pomelo

not fideo

One of my Facebook friends made an elaborate and beautiful fideo, which inspired me to throw together this very simplified imitation with whatever I had in the refrigerator. (It’s not really fideo, more like “in the style of”.) The goal … Continue reading

Posted in greatest tomatoes from Europe, one dish meal, pasta, quarantine cuisine, vegan, vegetarian | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on not fideo

quarantine vegetarian lasagne

So I ordered a bunch of groceries in bulk from Cheetah, a wholesale shop for restaurants that recently opened their virtual doors to ordinary citizens. I like using half and half to make the occasional hot chocolate or decaffeinated chai. … Continue reading

Posted in greatest tomatoes from Europe, main dishes, one dish meal, pasta, quarantine cuisine, vegetarian | Tagged , | Comments Off on quarantine vegetarian lasagne

making dinner (and lunch) from leftovers, part the first: a tuna salad that beckons

My son doesn’t care for artichokes. I love them. They’re in season now, and I had one in the fridge, so I decided today is the day I’m going to eat that artichoke. I trimmed it, gave it a lemon … Continue reading

Posted in couchpotato, eggs, main dishes, one dish meal, quarantine cuisine, salads | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on making dinner (and lunch) from leftovers, part the first: a tuna salad that beckons

spaghetti with bacon and peas

This morning, I ate a couple rashers of bacon with a mashed half avocado on toast with a sunny side up egg. Evan smelled the bacon, and remarked that he liked the small, and could he please have some for … Continue reading

Posted in main dishes, one dish meal, pasta, quarantine cuisine | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on spaghetti with bacon and peas

Greek-ish lemony burgers with tzatziki and buttered vegetables, or dinner in the time of corona

Greek burgers with tzatziki meal I’m rather amazed at what I put together with $3.67 worth of ground pork from Mitsuwa market, and odds and ends from Trader Joe’s. I bought the pork a few days ago, towards the beginning … Continue reading

Posted in thoughts | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Greek-ish lemony burgers with tzatziki and buttered vegetables, or dinner in the time of corona

chicken soup with tomatoes

My seven year old had a mild form of the plague recently. OK, fine, not the plague, just one of those awful viruses that’s been going around. Not that one. So I set to work making him the best chicken … Continue reading

Posted in thoughts | Comments Off on chicken soup with tomatoes

pasta with chickpeas and tomato sauce, a festival of leftovers

I tend to have a lot of leftovers. I cook for my son and myself, and I never know whether he’ll happily eat what I’ve made, or stare at it and me rather suspiciously, declaring that he doesn’t want any, … Continue reading

Posted in cookme, one dish meal, pasta | Comments Off on pasta with chickpeas and tomato sauce, a festival of leftovers

Just shakshuka, without any weird crap

My platonic ideal of shakshuka—the North African tomato stew with poached eggs—without any weird crap. I’ve made it here with canned San Marzano tomatoes from Europe. #GreatestTomatoesFromEurope
Continue reading

Posted in breakfast, greatest tomatoes from Europe, mideastern, one dish meal | Comments Off on Just shakshuka, without any weird crap