Easter at Home & Homemade Peking Duck (Recipe)

Homemade goose fat biscuits topped with sliced Johnston Country Ham and poached eggs

Easter, or any major holiday, is always a feast at home.

Since I have this wonderful ham from Johnston Country Hams, I couldn’t resist starting Easter morning with homemade goose fat biscuits (it’s based mainly from this recipe, [...]

Homemade Gluten-Free Pasta and Gluten-Free Pistachio, Candied Orange, Brown Butter Financiers

Weighing out ingredients with JosephJoseph Shell Scale and Cardamom, candied orange, vanilla bean, pistachio financiers

I, by no means, am allergic or adverse to gluten or wheat. Heaven forbid, one day I cannot eat my beloved loaves of bread, croissants, and the plethora of cakes and pastries that are based on wheat [...]

Chinese New Year Eve Dinner 2013 – Braised Abalone & Roast Foie Gras and Truffled Chicken

On Saturday, February 9th my family and I celebrated this years’s Chinese New Year Eve, the Year of the Snake, by cooking a storm. Nothing particularly new about that generally except our menu has changed slightly compared to last year. As always, dishes cooked or baked during this holiday have a [...]

Reginald’s Nut Butters, Baked Elements Cookbook & Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ginger Scones

Reginald’s Nut Butters

You might be wondering, how does a (very good) artisanal nut butter company Reginald’s Homemade based in Richmond, Virginia can connect with the upcoming release of the (awesome and beautifully photographed by Tina Rapp) Baked Elements by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito cookbook?

Reginald’s Homemade create what I think [...]

Plugrá Butter – Rich and Flavorful Butter

I am a big fan of butter. My affinity for baked goods and pastries (eating or baking) that I probably consume more butter than an ordinary person does. It shouldn’t be a surprise that I do like Plugrá a lot when I bake at home. Heck, even using their unsalted butter, spread [...]

Carrément Chocolat Cake

Slice of homemade Carrément Chocolat Cake

It shouldn’t be a surprise to most of you that I adore am obsessed with Pierre Hermé’s desserts and pastries. (I actually bought the same cake (different shape and styling) from Paris a few years ago.) I was craving the most indulgent chocolate cake (and I had [...]

Christmas Dinner – Carnivore’s Feast of Pat LaFrieda Meats and Pure Bred Lamb

Christmas table setting, Whole mustard-rosemary Chateaubriand roast and my portion of that meat

Christmas dinner was essentially a carnivore’s feast. Don’t get me wrong, I love my vegetables but since I’m thinking holidays, I normally associate large hunks of meat to share with friends and family. That’s when I start ordering from [...]

The Butch Bakery Cookbook

The Butch Bakery Cookbook by David Arrick with Janice Kollar

Cupcakes (or any dessert or confection) appeal mostly to females. Think about it. Cupcakes, macarons, chocolate bonbons and so forth are cute, dainty, pretty, and usually come in bright colors that does not normally appeal to an average man. So, the proprietor [...]

Homemade Snow Skin Mooncakes (冰皮月饼)

I’m continuing my tradition of making my own mooncakes for myself and my family. (Here is last year’s mooncakes post.) The two main reasons why I’m making my own mooncakes is I know what the heck is in them (especially, I’m hearing/reading a lot of preservatives and odd things are getting into [...]