Savory Oatmeal

You’ve probably figured out by now that I like switching things up. So when the idea came to me to rethink one of my breakfast favorites — oatmeal — I jumped on it.  Savory oatmeal. What is this madness, you might ask? But think about it. Sometimes you wake up and don’t want sugary toast, sweet…

Chocolate Biscotti

  I always thought making biscotti would be complicated just because they were so classy. In my mind, biscotti were in the same category as croissants – a coffee shop delicacy that I could never recreate at home. You can imagine my delight when I found that this wasn’t the case at all! I think…

Sweet ‘n Crunchy Toast

  If you haven’t had some version of sugary toast for breakfast lately, you’re missing out.  Because you know, nothing beats warm toast for breakfast. It gives your taste buds that early-morning buzz. It gives your ego that early-morning boost (because toast + powdered sugar + strawberries is what a real adult professional would do)….

Vanilla Crème Brioche

Perhaps the most fascinating thing about French cooking is the artistry. It’s all about the quality of ingredients, the slow simmers, the nuances of flavor. In a rushed world that often treats cooking as a chore, French cooking reminds us to pause and savor. And this is the perfect thing to savor – it’s buttery and…

Try This: Toasted Croissants

I realize that French food connoisseurs might have something against this, but for me, this is a way of living. I will never eat croissants the same way again. A flaky, buttery, warm, crunchy, delicious start to the day. It’s especially delicious when you use a big fluffy croissant, snatched right out of the glass…

Try This: Easier Hard-Boiled Eggs

Have you been overcomplicating hard-boiled eggs? Probably. At first I thought Martha Stewart’s recipe was complicated just because she’s Martha Stewart. But then I found other recipes that called for the same kind of method: cover the eggs with one inch of water, leave on stove for exactly this many minutes, drain carefully, la la…

Scrumptious Oatmeal Carrot Muffins

Do you fear the muffin man? I used to. But these simple little muffins changed everything. Now, you might recall that in the Kitchen Cici episode “Seriously Amazing Blueberry Muffins,” there were quite a few careful steps. I mean, those amazing blueberry muffins took some real deep-seafood-fried cooking patience. I have no idea what I just said….

10-Minute Breakfast Platter

Scrumptious. Filling. Balanced. This is the perfect breakfast if you’re looking for something warm and decent 20 minutes before you must leave the house. As much as I love Cheerios, I simply can’t eat it every day.  Okay that’s a lie.  But let’s not talk about my addictions.  Quick Breakfast Platter Ingredients 2 strips bacon…

Quick Caramel Pastries

This is so decadent yet so simple, I’m literally speechless. Which is why I’m literally still talking. But humor me for a second and close your eyes and just imagine. Delicious, golden-brown sweetness. Glorious, warm-and-sticky caramel. It’s like all of your sweet pastry dreams in one fantastic breakfast pastry. Now open your eyes. Ignore the paradoxical nature…

Wholesome Baked Eggs

Sometimes, you just want a simple, healthy breakfast. But you can’t muster the enthusiasm to fry eggs, and lord knows what would happen if you attempted eggs benedict after a solid 4.25 hours of sleep. Don’t try to visualize it. You have a situation on your hands. A dilemma. At this inhumanely early hour, you…

All-Natural Microwave Granola

You read that right. Crunchy granola in less than 5 minutes. No ovens involved. It’s pretty darn healthy too—none of that brown evaporated cane syrup rice juice business. I’ve actually been making it in my dorm room for quite some time, although I’m not entirely sure if my roommate approves of our room consistently smelling like…

Crispy Waffle Bits

Here’s a semi-good college cafeteria story: So in my school cafeteria there’s this breakfast bar, where you fill out an order form and they make pancakes/waffles/scrambled eggs on the spot. I’m a fan of breakfast, and a fan of ordering oversized plates of food, so it’s perfect. This was a Tuesday morning between the hours…

Seriously Amazing Blueberry Muffins

If you’re going to save one muffin recipe, let this be it. Okay, that doesn’t quite cover my excitement. Hold on. (OH HEAVEN THESE ARE THE BEST MUFFINS I’VE EVER MADE NOM NOM NOM OH NO I JUST ATE THREE MUFFINS AND NOW I HAVE TO MAKE MORE GAH MUFFINS MUFFINS MUFFINS THEY’RE LIKE FINS…

Sweet & Tangy Blueberry Jam

If you’ve been buying store-bought jam, you’ve been missing out.  Real blueberry jam is so ridiculously easy, you could make it every morning to go with your bagel, and then every afternoon to go with your PB&J.  Seriously. Stop buying the jar stuff. It’s filled with weird ingredients, preservatives, and heaping amounts of sugar.  Don’t…

The Best Scrambled Egg Method

“And if they make the perfect scrambled egg, you know they know how to cook properly.” — Gordon Ramsay Challenge. Accepted. There was just one problem. See, your usual “perfect scrambled eggs” is defined by a soft and very fluffy egg, one that is barely cooked, dangerously toeing the line between Raw and Done. As an Asian,…

Gloriously Fluffy Oatmeal

Is it possible? That a measly 1/4 cup of oatmeal can magically puff up to 1.5 cups of bliss? Yes. See, I don’t know if you’ve realized this, but oatmeal soaks up water. Bask in my intelligence. Normally when you’re cooking oatmeal in the morning (we’re talking old-fashioned oats here), the oatmeal doesn’t have enough…

Super Savory “Pancakes”

Flaky, savory, salty, and a little crunchy. You must try these. In Chinese, they’re called cong you bing, literally “Scallion oil pancake.” They look like pancakes, but they’re definitely not. Besides, looks don’t mean a thing in my kitchen. I wear ugly t-shirts on a daily basis. They’re a classic Chinese food, a snack flexible…

Delicious Steamed Eggs

Eggs are amazing, don’t get me wrong. But sometimes you run out of stuff to do with them in the mornings. You’ve scrambled them, fried them, baked them, omeletted them. You need something else in your life. Something Asian-inspired. Kinda savory, kinda salty. Me. Ha! No. You need these … Asian Steamed Eggs Taste &…

Profiteroles

I rolled out of bed at 7:00am this morning and I felt like making French food. So I did. Welcome to my life. Be jealous, friends. The good news: this may be French food, but it ain’t fancy. Hardly any waiting time, no buttering/rising/folding/kneading involved. And it’s still yummy as heck. Drizzle it with easy…