Mr. JOC and I just celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary at Keiko à Nob Hill in San Francisco. We had an amazing meal that night and I want to share the experience with you today. We really wanted to select a memorable restaurant so we can cherish the memory. We finally decided on Keiko’s based on our friend Kimberley’s recommendation (We think she has eaten at every single restaurant in SF!...
Ingredients 8 hard-cooked eggs 1/3 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh marjoram leaves 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives 1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper 1/2 cup chopped ripe olives 8 pitted ripe olives Fresh parsley or marjoram sprigs or leaves, if desired Preparation Cut peeled eggs lengthwise in half with rippled vegetable cutter or sharp knife. Carefully remove yolks and place in small bowl; mash with fork....
Ingredients 1 container (6 oz) Yoplait® Original yogurt French vanilla 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter 1 medium apple, cored and sliced Preparation Eat a tablespoon or two of yogurt out of the yogurt cup. Stir peanut butter in with a fork until smooth. Serve with apple slices for dipping. Related Video
Ingredients 1 bag (8.75 oz) Chex Mix® Traditional snack mix 1 cup mini pepperoni 1 cup cubed mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley Preparation In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Serve immediately and enjoy. Store any remaining in the refrigerator. Related Video
Ingredients 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 4 eggs 1 container (8 oz) sour cream 1 can (21 oz) strawberry pie filling Preparation Heat oven to 325°F. Wrap outside bottom and side of 10-inch springform pan with foil to prevent leaking. In small bowl, mix cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar....
Ingredients 1 pouch (17.5 oz) Betty Crocker™ peanut butter cookie mix Vegetable oil, water and egg called for on cookie mix pouch 1/3 cup chopped cocktail peanuts 1 bag (8 oz) Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups™ Minis Vanilla ice cream, if desired Preparation Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, mix cookie mix, oil, water, egg and peanuts with spoon until soft dough forms. Stir in 1 cup of the peanut butter cups....
Ingredients 1 pound smoked ham shanks 2 cartons (32 ounces each) Progresso™ chicken broth (8 cups) 1 package (16 ounces) dried lentils (2 1/4 cups), sorted and rinsed 4 medium stalks celery, chopped (2 cups) 4 medium carrots, chopped (2 cups) 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 cups shredded fresh spinach Preparation Mix all ingredients except spinach in 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 8 to 9 hours or until lentils are tender....
Ingredients 6 cups organic vegetable broth 8 oz dried lentils, sorted, rinsed 1 container (8 oz) refrigerated prechopped celery, onion and bell pepper mix 2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 smoked turkey leg (8 oz) Fat-free Greek plain yogurt, if desired Fresh oregano sprigs, if desired Preparation Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In slow cooker, stir together broth, lentils, prechopped vegetables, oregano and pepper; add turkey leg....
Ingredients 1 (10 3/4-oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 (8-oz.) container (about 1 cup) sour cream 1 (7-oz.) round hickory-smoked Gouda cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1/3 cup roasted red bell pepper strips (from a jar) 1 (32-oz.) pkg. (8 cups) frozen southern-style cubed hash-brown potatoes, thawed Preparation Spray 3 1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. In medium bowl, combine soup, sour cream and cheese; mix well....
Ingredients 1 pouch (17.5 oz) Betty Crocker™ sugar cookie mix Butter and egg called for on cookie mix pouch for drop cookies 1/3 cup butter, melted 1 container (7.5 oz) strawberry cream cheese spread, softened 1 cup powdered sugar 1/2 cup strawberry jam 1 container (12 oz) Cool Whip frozen whipped topping, thawed 2 boxes (4-serving size each) Jell-O™ vanilla-flavor instant pudding and pie filling mix 3 cups cold milk...
Preparation Meringue is one of those culinary classics that holds a sneaky secret: Making it is way less complicated than it seems. Some cooks are put off by the raw egg component (pro tip: use pasteurized whites if you don’t want to live on the edge), while others are overwhelmed by the steps and process. We get it. Desserts that require meringue, like perfectly round macarons and artistic, swooping pavlovas, can seem intimidating—but the truth is that meringue is simply made up of sugar and eggs, two of the most common ingredients around....
Preparation While some look forward to the annual celebrity award season, many people overlook another crucial award announcement that happens this time of year: The Trader Joe’s Annual Customer Choice Awards. According to The Kitchn, this year marks the 11th choice awards for the grocery store giant, and they’ve once again asked customers to pick their overall favorite product from the previous year. Which item won the prized honor in 2019?...
The second part of our Kansai trip was in Kobe (神戸), the port city that’s about 25 min from Osaka. Yes, that Kobe city which is world renowned for their amazing beef. If you are planning to visit Osaka and have time for a side day trip, I highly recommend visiting this beautiful seaside city. (click the map to enlarge) Places to Visit in Kobe Japan As I grew up in Yokohama and live in San Francisco, which are both a port city similar to Kobe, I am biased about these coastal cities....
Preparation We’ll get right to it: There are just 11 cosmetic ingredients banned in the United States. Comparatively, over 1,300 have been outlawed or restricted in the entire European Union—a staggering discrepancy with one specific explanation. “In the European Union, they take more of a precautionary approach, so if an ingredient is presumed to be hazardous, or thought to cause health harm, they’ll restrict or prohibit it,” says Nneka Leiba, Vice President of Healthy Living Science at the Environmental Working Group....
Ingredients 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup sugar 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon celery seed 1 medium head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces (about 10 cups) 4 cups mixed salad greens (from 10-oz bag) 1 container (4 oz) blue or Gorgonzola cheese crumbles 1 cup walnut halves, toasted 2 red apples, cut into bite-size pieces...
Ingredients 2 2/3 cups old-fashioned oats 1/2 cup raisins 4 cups milk 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 medium apples, chopped (2 cups) 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if desired Additional milk, if desired Preparation Heat oven to 350°F. In 2-quart casserole, mix oats, raisins, 4 cups milk, the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, salt and apples. Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until most liquid is absorbed....
Ingredients 1 box Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ Carrot Cake Mix 1/2 cup orange juice or water 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained 1 teaspoon orange peel 1 teaspoon vanilla 4 eggs 1/2 cup chopped nuts 1/2 cup coconut 1/2 cup chopped raisins 1 to 2 teaspoons orange peel, if desired 1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting Preparation Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans)....
Ingredients 12 uncooked lasagna noodles 1 container (24 oz) 4% small-curd cottage cheese 1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1/2 cup refrigerated basil pesto 1 teaspoon salt 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (10 oz) 1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef 1/2 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium) 2 jars (24 oz each) tomato and basil pasta sauce Preparation Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray....
Ingredients 1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 3 tablespoons powdered sugar 2 eggs 1 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup chopped nuts 1/2 cup flaked coconut 1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries, drained 1/4 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla Preparation Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 8- or 9-inch square pan. In medium bowl, mix 1 cup flour, the butter and powdered sugar with spoon until flour is moistened....
As the weather is getting warmer and summer is just around the corner, I love making refreshing salad and side dishes to go with our Japanese meals. Today I’m sharing my Cucumber Salad with Sesame Soy Vinaigrette or Cucumber Gomazu-ae (きゅうりのごま酢和え). Sesame Soy Vinaigrette (Gomazu-ae) This sesame soy vinaigrette is called gomazu-ae (胡麻酢和え) in Japanese. Gomazu-ae is made of ground white sesame seeds, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar. You might be more familiar with Spinach Goma-ae (ほうれん草の胡麻和え) as it’s a better-known dish in the U....
