Five attempts…it took me five attempts over about four years to finally get it right. Egusi stew is my favorite Nigerian meal, and maybe one of my favorite foods in general. The problem is that I’ve always had to get it from a restaurant or caterer, so it’s usually a rare delicacy reserved for big…
Stewed Cod
Too easy not to make… right now! The sauce changes each time I make it, but includes different combinations of peppers, tomatoes and garlic. Roast the vegetables until soft, then sautee in olive oil, and cook the fish in the sauce that forms. Cod filets work perfectly for this, since they are firm, and won’t…
Five-Spice Braise
In another post that sounds much fancier than it really is…I give you: braising. Regardless of spices, or proteins, the basic process is the same: sear, then stew. Here, I decided to leave the pre-made 5-spice in the pantry, and try my hand with the raw ingredients. I had everything except Szechuan peppercorns, but I…
Lemon-Rosemary Chicken | Feta Corn
Now that Craving Mad has been going for a while (this is post #114!) there’s been plenty of time for me to run out of new ideas… it could happen to anyone, right? There have been the busy weeks, the uninspired weeks, and plenty weeks with almost no groceries (well, maybe those count as busy…
Roasted Garlic Salmon | Mediterranean Penne
Did I mention that I love fishing? Not in the past few posts, huh? Well…I love fishing. I’ve always loved fish and reptiles, so naturally I used to love watching the 90’s versions of Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, and all those wildlife documentaries definitely left there mark (thanks, Steve). I don’t keep or eat…
Zucchini & Cashew “Lasagna”
Dani took the lead on this one– a dish that is intentionally vegan, keto, dairy-free…well, free of most things, really. Like…take this lentil bolognese, but cut out the wheat pasta, and other natural carbs from the lentils. She deserves a round of applause though; it was delicious! Don’t like zucchini? Try eggplant, or maybe even large…
Chicken & Corn Soup
It’s hot outside…so hot that I can’t really come up with a unique name for this one. Regardless, it’s a pretty simple combination of chicken, corn, peppers, and a few handfuls of herbs. It’s similar to my riff on Ajiaco but without the sweet potatoes, and more chilies. It’s been a busy few weeks, but these…
Green Curry Chickpeas (Chickpea Stew #5)
I’m not fooling anyone by now– I eat a lot of chickpeas. What you can’t tell from the blog though is just how different all of these stews taste– so yeah, this may be the fifth variation of chickpea stew on the blog, but it’s a brand new experience. Trust me.
Eggplant & Cashew Sauté
Yup, you’re reading that correctly– the only spices I used this time around were salt and pepper. That’s right, no paprika, coriander, or any exotic seeds– just a handful of herbs and and some fresh produce. This may be one of the best things I’ve made all year, and it was pretty straight forward in…
Seared Rockfish | Coconut Rice | Black Garlic-Habanero Aioli
Be honest– what caught your eye in the title? Rockfish? Well, to be fair, it’s not something I usually make, so that’s fair. Coconut rice? Also an honorable mention, since it’s another novel addition to the blog (though you’ll see that I used a really simple “cheat” method this time.) Ah yes, I bet it’s…
