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Bibimbap {a Korean bowl of yummy} + karaoke

bibimbap bowl

A friend found this bibimbap recipe in Bon Appetit and wanted to taste the “real thing” before attempting to make the dish at home. (I love that kind of research!) On our internet search, Hoban in Eagan repeatedly came up as one of the best Korean restaurants in the Twin Cities. So last Friday night we nabbed some friends for an impromptu dinner adventure.

The restaurant is in a strip mall (no surprise there) and looking through the windows from the parking lot, we could see it was packed. About 95% of the patrons were Korean (well, once WE walked in). We figured that was a good sign…

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Pear & Fig & Caramelized Onion Flatbread

pear fig flatbread

We are getting a little anxious for spring and summer to arrive here in Minnesota…  When it does, we fire up the Weber regularly.  When I got over my fear of the grill (I was sure I’d blow up the house) I started grilling everything!

Our favorite go-to griller?   It’s flatbread, hands down!

{First, a note about grilling:  If you’re a charcoal purist, forgive me, but for “Grilling 101” I needed the heat control of gas.  Speaking of heat control, you’ve probably already figured out not to get too close to your subject to peek for doneness.  I’ve been known to melt my mascara just enough to threaten sealing my eyes shut.  Anyway, I hope to move up to charcoal someday, but right now, I just light a charcoal-scented candle to create the ambiance.  I’m kidding about the candle.  Kind of.*}

Back to the pear & fig flatbread…

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Curried Chicken & Mango Dip

Curried Chicken Mango Dip

I had an amazing group of women over last night for a networking/happy hour of sorts. Since almost all of the guests were folks I’d never met, I decided to stick with some of my tried-and-true apped’ouevres.  This one is pretty much a slam-dunk every time…

It’s an adaptation of a recipe that a caterer traded with me after a party years ago.  It’s great because it’s super easy to throw together the day before, it freezes well (before it’s baked) and you can lighten it up a little if you like.

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I didn’t want to love them…

sliders

This is Sally constructing some sliders as I post this!

Let me start out with a disclaimer: I’m pro healthy-eating. I’m anti white-bread. I don’t eat processed cheese, and I don’t like pickles. However, every once in awhile, it’s ok to “fall off the wagon” (food-wise) in the name of hunger. Or friendship. Moderation in everything, right?

So my dear friend Sally is truly a character. I love her dearly.  While she’s one of the funniest and most generous people I know, her kitchen skills have mostly centered around Tater-Tot Hot Dish (it’s a Minnesota thing) and other dishes that rely heavily on butter and cheese. (She works for Land O’Lakes, so consider it a hazard of the job.) Continue Reading →

Did you hear the one about the couple that needed a new dishwasher?

View of high end kitchen showing white cabinets and dark wood island

That was us, 10 months and tens of thousands of dollars ago.

Our 16-year-old dishwasher was showing its age, so we decided to quit on it before it quit on us. Off to a local appliance store we went, in search of the latest and greatest dishwasher technology.

Can you say “kid in a candy store”? I went from vignette to vignette, exploring cooktops, ovens, refrigerators, beverage centers, warming drawers… and finally, dishwashers. Earth to Morgan! Continue Reading →

Sometimes, cheaters DO win…

Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice

I love to cook, and I’ll tackle a difficult recipe without blinking. But for whatever reason, I can’t whip up a batch of rice worthy of company. I don’t own a rice cooker — though I’m told that if I did, my rice-failures would be behind me. But I don’t need or want another appliance — especially one so “specialized.” Anyway, I figure it would be “cheating.”

Then my sister introduced me to an alternative. Continue Reading →