Koreatown: A Cookbook Spotlight

Inspired by Always Be My Maybe, Ali Wong and Russell Park's new rom-com streaming on Netflix, I made kimchi jjigae last weekend. It's a simple stew that you've gotta have over rice. After researching on the Internet, I grabbed my copy of Koreatown: A Cookbook by Deuki Hong. Where most Internet recipes just called for…

ByMichelleJune 5, 20190Comments

Speedy Chicken Posole is a Fall Favorite

It's October. Soup weather has set in. In the last few weeks, I busted out the Instant Pot and have been turning to my Dutch oven for dinner more often. One of my fall favorites is posole. Legit versions of course ask you to braise a pork shoulder and soak some dried chiles. On the…

ByMichelleOctober 1, 20180Comments

Product Review

We Tried the New Trader Joe’s Miso Ramen Cup

Stroll by Trader Joe's new product section and you'll see two new instant noodle options: chicken ramen soup and the one we're trying today, Trader Joe's Miso Ramen ($1.99 for a 1.5 oz cup). The ingredient list is surprising clean, wheat noodles, dried miso, yeast extract, potato starch, seaweed, etc. It contains soy and wheat,…

ByMichelleAugust 14, 20180Comments

Book Reviews

Digging into Persian Food with Taste of Persia

One of the things I'm going to do with DailyWaffle is tackle some cuisines and dishes I haven't really cooked at home, starting with Persian food. I'm planning to do injera, the Ethiopian flatbread made with teff flour; Beef Wellington, although the idea of screwing up a gorgeous piece of beef tenderloin is scary; and…

ByMichelleJanuary 7, 20170Comments

Main Course Recipes Soups

Damn, That’s Good: The First Mess’ Lentil Soup

It's soup season. But have you already run through your tried-and-trues? Chicken noodle, beef stew, chili, vegetable, butternut squash are on repeat, right? It's time to reconsider lentil. Look, I'm with you, lentil soup at its worst is brown slop from the 70s. Let me introduce you to lentil soup at its best -- The First…

ByMichelleOctober 28, 20160Comments

Main Course Product Review

REVIEW| Target’s Archer Farms Ramen Soup Starters

Ramen has officially gone mainstream. Target is offering “premium ramen” under its Archer Farms brand in four varieties – pork, beef brisket, mushroom and chicken teriyaki. {Record scratch} Chicken Teriyaki?! The new offerings use “ramen” as an Asian noodle soup catch-all and actually include rice noodles along with the ramen and udon options. If you…

ByMichelleJune 16, 20160Comments

Cooking Just for Fun

What’s New at Trader Joe’s – April 2016

Here's a quick look at some of the new items at Trader Joe's this month, spotted at stores in Washington state. The new offerings run the gamut from soups to condiments to dessert. TJ's also has a new Moroccon Mint Tea (not pictured - 64 oz. plastic bottle) which is surprisingly good, not too sweet,…

ByMichelleApril 26, 20160Comments

Main Course

Rice & the Ramen Renaissance

Ramen is going through something of a renaissance, a resurgence. Whether on the kitschy side with ramen burgers or the explosion of ramen joints in NYC, most notably Ivan Ramen on the Lower East Side, the food world is paying attention again to those squiggly noodles in broth. And for the first time in years, we’re seeing new entrants to the ramen market on grocery store shelves, like Lotus Foods’ Rice Ramen.

ByMichelleMarch 12, 20140Comments

Cooking Recipes

Ginger Chicken Hot Pot w/ Rice Cakes

There’s a critical step that often gets missed in this whole reading food blogs thing. Observe: Step 1: Ooh, I really want to make something with potatoes. Step 2: Google potato recipes Step 3: Scroll past the text and ogle hasselbeck potatoes, stuffed potato skins, potato salad, tater tots, hash browns, etc. Step 4: Read recipes Step 5: Possibly comment “Ooh, looks yummy.” Alternatively, pin recipes to your “Yummy Potatoes” Pinterest board. Step 6: The End. What’s missing here?

ByMichelleJanuary 11, 20142Comments

Recipes Soups Travel

Winter White Cauliflower and Potato Chowder

You can tell it's winter by the number of bowls in our dishwasher. Oatmeal in the morning, soup for dinner. Over the last few weeks, it's been a regular soup smorgasbord around here. We've had lentil soup, pho, turkey soup, and chili. A couple of weeks ago, my friend Nicole texted me looking for a…

ByMichelleDecember 11, 20130Comments