
May I have your attention please. This is now exclusively a food blog. No further questions. 
Thank you.

In the wake of the [mushroom stroganoff incident](../posts/sands-of-time) I started keeping more plaintext 
backups of recipes, mostly in Google Keep. Given [Google's history of killing things](https://killedbygoogle.com/),
this was probably not a great idea. When I needed to reference a recipe, I would open the 
note on my phone in the kitchen, and read it there.

Instead of Google Keep, I've played around with different recipe apps, but didn't really like any of them. I 
was always like 'eh, one day I'll just make one that does what I want'. I have decided that it's finally time to make the 
thing that does what I want. As I've done more home cooking in the last few years, I think I have enough 
experience that I can tell what would be useful, and what would be superfluous.

I swear, it's not just me being lazy. In reality, I think the killer app isn't an app at all,
it's a laminated recipe book. No dealing with getting food on your precious technology - the phone stays 
in another room, away from the flour and cornstarch. Earbuds can reach from 
a ways away, and have touch controls on them. The reason I need a digital recipe presence *at all* is really 
for backups. That laminated recipe book is prone to getting lost, damaged, stolen, etc.
I also don't currently own a laminator or printer, but I do own a computer. With a 
backup source that I control, I can easily do something like generate a pdf of all my stored recipes. It's 
also nice for sharing with others, as I can send them a link that I know works (and isn't an ad-ridden 
mess) instead of emailing it or sharing on Google Drive or using some other annoying format. I can also 
add any notes I have to the recipe without fear of ~pick: running out of space/not being able to read my 
handwriting~.

So, there you have it. To summarize, by storing recipes on my blog, I get:
- easy backups
- easy sharing
- easy to add content
- easy to add notes later

I'll start adding things here as I make them.


## The Mayo Sandwich That Reminds Me to Slow Down

Some recipes come from generations of carefully guarded family traditions. Others are passed down in stained recipe cards tucked into antique cookbooks, their corners softened by decades of loving use.

And then there's this mayo sandwich.

I still remember the first time I had one. It was a humid Tuesday in late August, though I couldn't tell you the year anymore. Summer was winding down, the cicadas were singing outside my grandmother's kitchen window, and the scent of freshly cut grass drifted through the screen door. I had spent the entire morning doing absolutely nothing productive—a skill children seem to possess effortlessly and adults spend years trying to relearn.

My grandmother looked into the pantry, then into the refrigerator, then back into the pantry again with the sort of quiet confidence that only comes from decades of feeding people. There wasn't much to work with. A loaf of soft white bread. A jar of mayonnaise. That was enough.

"Sometimes," she said, "the simplest meals are the ones you remember."

At the time, I thought she was just trying to make lunch sound exciting.

She spread the mayonnaise with remarkable care, all the way to the edges of the bread. No dry corners. Every bite mattered. She gently pressed the slices together, cut the sandwich diagonally—as all truly comforting sandwiches should be—and slid it across the table.

I took one bite.

Creamy. Tangy. Pillowy soft. It wasn't trying to impress anyone. It wasn't topped with artisanal microgreens or drizzled with infused olive oil or stacked seventeen ingredients high for social media. It was simply bread and mayonnaise, existing together in perfect harmony.

Years passed.

Life became busier. Jobs changed. Apartments came and went. Kitchens grew larger and then smaller again. I learned to make elaborate dinners that dirtied every pot I owned. I experimented with homemade pasta, slow-fermented sourdough, and sauces that simmered for six hours.

But somehow, on the longest days, I always found myself returning to the mayo sandwich.

It became my rainy-day lunch.

My "the grocery store trip can wait until tomorrow" meal.

My "I've spent three hours cooking for other people and now I just want something for myself" comfort food.

Friends laugh when I tell them about it.

"That's the recipe?" they ask.

"That's the recipe," I reply.

Because not every recipe needs twenty ingredients. Not every meal has to become a project. Sometimes nourishment is as much about familiarity as it is about flavor.

I know this recipe won't win awards. It won't be featured on restaurant menus. You probably won't see celebrity chefs competing over who can make the world's best mayo sandwich.

But maybe that's exactly why I love it.

It's honest.

It's dependable.

It's there for you when the refrigerator is nearly empty and payday is still two days away. It's there when you're sick. It's there when you're nostalgic. It's there when you just need lunch and don't feel like pretending otherwise.

Food doesn't always have to astonish us.

Sometimes it just has to show up.

So today I'm sharing one of the most requested "recipes" among my closest friends—not because they couldn't figure it out, but because every time they came over and saw me making one, they'd ask, "Why does yours somehow look better?"

The secret, I've decided, isn't technique.

It's confidence.

Spread the mayonnaise generously. Don't apologize for it. Cover every inch of the bread. Cut it however your heart desires. Eat it immediately while the bread is still impossibly soft.

And if someone asks why you're eating a mayonnaise sandwich, simply smile and tell them it's a family recipe.

Technically, after enough years, it is.

<img src="/img/mayo-sandwich.png" alt="Mayonnaise Sandwich">

<br/><br/>

## Ingredients

* 2 slices soft white bread
* 2–3 tablespoons mayonnaise

<br/>

## Instructions

1. Lay the bread slices on a clean surface.
2. Spread the mayonnaise evenly over one or both slices, making sure to reach all the edges.
3. Press the slices together.
4. Slice in half if desired.
5. Serve immediately and enjoy.



Recipe originally from [Joy Food Sunshine](https://joyfoodsunshine.com/the-most-amazing-chocolate-chip-cookies/).

Makes 36 cookies. I made this recipe for work a few times, with one person saying "this is the best chocolate chip cookie I've ever had".
It was later revealed that he was on a diet and hadn't eaten any butter in the past 6 months.

The recipe is very particular about the following items:
- spoon and level the flour in a dry ingredient measuring cup
- do not over-bake the cookies, they will not look done when you take them out of the oven. Take them out when lightly browned
- use a cookie scoop for portioning. I don't own one of these

### Staple Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened (modification: add 1/4 tsp of salt per stick for unsalted)
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed. The recipe for light brown sugar is 1 cup white sugar and 1 tbsp molasses.
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp sea salt

### Special Ingredients
- 2 cups chocolate chips

### Instructions
- onion on 375
- line baking sheets with parchment paper
- in medium bowl: mix dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt.
- in large bowl: cream together butter and sugar. beat in eggs and vanilla
- add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mix until combined
- add chocolate chips
- portion into 2-3 tbsp dough balls
- bake 8-10 minutes
- cool



Recipe originally from [Taste & Tell](https://www.tasteandtellblog.com/sweet-and-sour-chicken) by way of Skylar. Legend has it that this is the
only thing she can eat without triggering an allergic reaction.

Chefs say: "I'm talking so yummy I’ve had this recipe saved since sophomore year of high school when I took my around the world cooking class".

### Modifications
- I suspect this would be good if you replaced the chicken breasts with chicken thighs. I will report back if I try this.

### Staple Ingredients
- Chicken
    - 1 cup cornstarch
    - 3 eggs lightly beaten
    - 1/4 cup vegetable oil
    - Salt & Pepper
- Sauce
    - 1 cup sugar (!)
    - 6 tablespoons ketchup
    - 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
    - 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
    - 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

### Special Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

### Instructions
- Prepare Sauce
    - sugar, ketchup, cider vinegar, soy sauce, garlic powder
- Chicken
    - cut chicken into bite-sized chunks, season with salt & pepper pepper pepper
    - onion on 325
    - dredge chicken in cornstarch, then egg. Cursorily brown chicken.
    - Transfer to baking dish 
- Add sauce to chicken and bake for ONE HOUR stirring every 15 min
- Serve with rice



Recipe originally from [Masala and Chai](https://masalaandchai.com/whole-roasted-tandoori-chicken/) with modifications from Jai Mehra and myself.
Note that it requires a 24 hour marinade but is otherwise easy.

Astute readers may notice that the recipe says to bake for 20 min and then broil for 3. This is because the first time I made this, I tried to cook it by broiling (no baking), and I almost started a fire. Likely skill issue. I do think it turns out better if you cook it by broiling instead of baking, but I don't want to be held responsible for that.

### Modifications
- from me: the recipe is for a whole chicken. I have never done this since it is too much work, I just use the marinade with chicken thighs
- from Jai: instead of the Kashmiri chili powder, cumin, and turmeric, he uses a premade TOOBA Chicken Tikka mix. I have no idea if it would be better with the original spices. This is good too.

### Spicy Notes
For spicy, use 2 tbsp of the spice mix (less than one packet). For less spicy, use 1 tbsp. For more spicy, use more or the whole packet (I have never done this, do this at your own risk).

### Staple Ingredients
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1.5 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp ground green cardamom
- 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or mayo
- 2 tbsp TOOBA Chicken Tikka mix

### Special Ingredients
- chicken thighs, maybe 2 lbs ish
- 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt (one little container)
- 1/2 lemon
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- (optional) red onion, chopped cilantro

### Instructions
- The day before you want to eat
    - do the dry brine if you want. Rub chicken in lemon and a little salt and let sit for an hour
    - mix yogurt, oil, spices, ginger garlic paste. marinade for 24 hours in the fridge
- Undoh on four hundoh
- Once oven is preheated, put chicken thighs in oven for 20 ish min
- Put oven on broil for 3 ish min, maybe until there is some smoke ([fire means it's working](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNTj05I4k5I&t=638s))
- Check that the chicken is done
- Make rice and/or vegetables if you want
- Do something with the red onion and chopped cilantro. Idk, I've never read that part of the recipe
- Enjoy



Recipe originally from [Budget Bytes](https://www.budgetbytes.com/beef-taco-pasta/). I haven't 
gotten the spices exactly how I want yet, but this recipe is really just another "throw stuff in a pot 
with ground beef and pasta", so I'm not too torn up about it. If you're doubling the recipe, the proportions 
are also weird. I recommend not doubling the tomatoes and beef broth or else it's really watery.

Sometimes it's a challenge to get it to taste sufficiently unique from
[this goulash recipe](https://www.budgetbytes.com/goulash/). That one is pretty good too, though. So 
tasting like it isn't all that bad.

### Staple Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or mex cheese

### Special Ingredients
- 0.5 lb ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 4 oz can diced green chiles
- 0.5 lb small pasta shells
- 2 green onions

### Instructions
- dice onion, mince garlic. Add to deep skillet and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft
- add ground beef and taco seasoning, brown the ground beef
- add diced tomatoes and green chiles (with juices), stir
- add pasta and beef broth
- bring to boil, then simmer w/ lid on for about 10 min
- add shredded cheese and top with green onions


Recipe originally from [this savory vegan](https://www.thissavoryvegan.com/one-pot-creamy-hummus-pasta/).
I have a bunch of modifications to this one. Although technically "one pot", it's not really in the 
spirit of "one pot" as you need to transfer the pasta to/from a colander to drain it after cooking. The next 
time I make this, I want to play around with replacing the water with stock and using the exact right 
amount, so it doesn't need to be drained. It's also not really one pot unless you cook the chicken serially.

Forget to break the linguine in half at your own peril. Using unbroken linguine makes it literally
impossible to stir in the hummus and other finishing ingredients. If using one pot, do yourself a favor and 
use a tall skillet over a pot. You may be tempted to use a pot because that's what you cook pasta in. 
That's the devil talking.

I vastly prefer linguine to spaghetti for this. The sriracha + hummus combo is by far the best part, do NOT 
skip the sriracha or skimp on it.

### Staple Ingredients
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil
- 1 tbsp sun dried tomato oil or olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (diced)
- salt and pepper to taste
- sriracha to taste

### Special Ingredients
- 8 oz dry linguine
- 3/4 cup hummus (half a Wegmans container)
- 2 cups baby spinach
- a few chicken breasts or something (optional)

### Instructions
- cut chicken into bite size pieces and cook it. remove from pot onto plate
- cook pasta according to package directions
- drain pasta and reserve some pasta water
- over medium heat, cook sun dried tomatoes, oil, and garlic for 2 min
- add hummus and pasta to the pan, pour in pasta water until sauce reaches desired consistency (I like it 
  on the thick side, not much pasta water)
- add spinach and sauté until wilted. add chicken
- add salt and pepper to taste
- serve with BIG drizzle of sriracha


Recipe originally from [Gimme Delicious](https://gimmedelicious.com/baked-chicken-parmesan/). Frying 
chicken is kinda stressful, and I often mess it up. It always comes out too oily or watery. This recipe 
doesn't have those problems, it's pretty good. The recipe calls for 1 tsp of salt, but I think that's a 
bit much (and I like salt). Maybe 1/2 a tsp is right.

### Staple Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- pepper to taste
- 1 egg

### Special Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (~1 lb)
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella

### Instructions
- preheat oven to 425°F
- grease sheet pan with olive oil
- combine panko, parmesan, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper
- whisk egg in small bowl
- slice chicken breasts in half, pound to even thickness
- dip chicken into egg, then panko mixture. Transfer to baking sheet
- bake for 15 min
- flip, top with 3-4 tbsp of marinara sauce and a bunch of mozz cheese
- return to oven and bake 5-7 minutes or until chicken is cooked through
- brown under broiler for a couple minutes if desired


Recipe originally from [Budget Bytes](https://www.budgetbytes.com/southwest-chicken-skillet/). I made 
almost no modifications to this, except sometimes I make it with medium or short grain rice because I 
don't have long-grain. It's really good. Using the precooked chicken carcass from the store is nice, I don't 
have to deal with raw chicken, and I can split up the work by shredding it in advance.

### Staple Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 15oz can black beans, drained

### Special Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded mex cheese
- 2-3 green onions, chopped
- 1 cup salsa
- 1.5-2 cups precooked shredded chicken
- 1 3/4 cups chicken broth

### Instructions
- combine rice, salsa, chicken, black beans, chili powder, and chicken broth in a large skillet
- lid, bring to boil over high heat, then reduce to low and simmer for 15 min
- turn odd the heat, let rest with lid in place for 5 min
- remove lid, fluff w/ fork. add cheese, melt cheese. add green onion


Recipe originally from [Adam Ragusea](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntd_Y2eywc4). I don't think I've 
ever actually used the herbs de provence this calls for, I just add some italian seasoning or whatever. 
The fresh squeezed lemon at the end is my favorite part. I usually cut up the chicken before browning 
instead of after - you get less browned flavor, but I find it annoying to cut up all the hot & oily chicken
into bite sized pieces.

### Staple Ingredients
- 2 cups long or medium grain white rice
- 2 tsp herbs de provence or other poultry friendly herbs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- olive oil
- 2 big pinches salt + more to taste
- pepper

### Special Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 1 lb chicken thigh or breast
- 1 large onion
- 3-4 carrots
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup frozen peas

### Instructions
- heat oven to 400°F
- heat olive oil on medium high heat, brown chicken on both sides
- roughly chop onion
- transfer browned chicken to plate, add onion to pot
- chop carrots into bite size pieces, add to the pot
- add rice to the pot, let it toast for a minute
- if you don't have an oven safe pot, transfer everything to a big baking dish
- pour in chicken stock, chicken, salt & pepper, spices, etc.
- bake covered for 20-30 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all the moisture
- after baking, stir in frozen peas. serve with lemon wedge for squeezing



Recipe originally from [Budget Bytes](https://www.budgetbytes.com/one-pot-beef-mushroom-stroganoff/).
Sometimes I double the recipe, but I don't really have cookware that's big enough so more often I just 
make it twice across a few days. I'm not a huge worcestershire sauce fan, so I sometimes replace it with 
oyster sauce or soy sauce. It doesn't make it taste oyster-y -- it's to add more umami. As if this recipe 
needs it with the beef & mushrooms, lol. 

### Staple Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

### Special Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 2 cups beef broth
- 8 oz mushrooms
- 8 oz wide egg noodles
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- (optional) 1 tbsp chopped parsley

### Instructions
- mince garlic, add to a large pot and sauté over medium heat until garlic is soft and fragrant
- add ground beef. brown
- add sliced mushrooms, black pepper. sauté 5 more min until soft
- add uncooked noodles, beef broth, worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard. stir
- add lid. bring to boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer 7-10 min
- add sour cream, extra salt & pepper to taste. add parsley



Recipe originally from [budget bytes](https://www.budgetbytes.com/sheet-pan-bbq-meatloaf-dinner/).
It calls for 1/4 lb of beef per person, but for my tastes it's probably closer to 1/3 lb or 1/2 lb.
It's important to make mini-meatloafs of about 1/4 lb each to keep the outside from burning. The sweet 
potato and broccoli are technically optional but go well with the meatloaf. It's important to have a 
vegetable.

### Staple Ingredients
- olive oil
- pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder

### Special Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato
- 12 oz frozen broccoli
- 1/2 lb beef
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp bread crumbs
- 3 tbsp BBQ sauce

# Instructions
- preheat oven to 400°F
- dice sweet potato into 1/2" to 3/4" cubes. Place on baking sheet with frozen broccoli
- drizzle ~1 tbsp olive oil for each, season with salt & pepper
- roast for 15 min
- mix **1 tbsp** BBQ sauce, beef, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, egg, bread crumbs in a bowl
- after 15 min, shape meat into flat-ish 1/4 lb ovals and add to the sheet pan
- spread 1 tbsp BBQ sauce on top of each
- bake for ~20 min or until meat reaches 160°F


Recipe originally from [YSAK](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ED8PpH0io8)

### Staple Ingredients
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- (optional) 1 onion
- 1 clove shredded garlic

### Special Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 15+ oz ricotta cheese
- 3 cups basil tomato sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- lasagna noodles

### Instructions
- preheat undoh to three seventy fundo
- brown ground beef, add spices. Optionally cook onion w/ ground beef instead of the spices
- mix ricotta, garlic, and 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella
- in 8 inch baking dish, put a layer of sauce. Then noodles, sauce, ricotta, repeat
- add a thick layer of mozzarella at the top
- put foil on top, then bake 30-40 minutes
- take foil off, bake another 10 minutes
- broil another minute or two if cheese isn't browned yet


Recipe #1 originally from [delish.com](https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a24794273/easy-pizza-dough-recipe/).
Recipe #2 originally from [Adam Ragusea](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDpCzJw2xm4).

---

## Recipe #2

Makes four pizzas. I'm on board with making the dough in advance, even if just to break up the work into 
separate days. I think it turned out better tasting, and I was able to get it flatter than with Recipe #1. 
I don't care to do a taste test where I make both. I will probably go with Recipe #2 from now on.

After letting the dough rise in the fridge for 4 days, it was tasty and still workable. After 6 days, it 
took on a very noticeable alcohol smell (like, headache-inducing) due to the fermentation. Dough was tasty,
of course, but I found it harder to work with. I would say that 6 days is too long. After 7 days, I made 
the last of the dough into bread, which was delicious. Would do it again.

Next time I want to try shredding the cheese myself (and maybe using a baking steel), but I'm having 
trouble finding a grocery store that sells block mozzarella in low moisture, whole milk form.

### Staple Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp yeast + more if you want it yeasty
- 5 cups bread flour
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil + much more for oiling the containers

### Special Ingredients
- whole fat, low moisture mozzarella cheese
- pizza sauce
- other toppings if desired

### Instructions
- bloom yeast. mix remaining staple ingredients
- knead until dough passes the window pane test
- divide dough into 1/4s
- oil glass bowls, rise in the fridge for 1-7 days
- preheat oven at max temp. if you have a pizza steel, preheat it
- make pizza
- bake until done

---

## Recipe #1

Makes two pizzas. The quick rise at room temp is nice if you don't want to pre-make the dough, but the taste
is only *pretty good*, not quite developed to where I want it.

### Staple Ingredients
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
- 3+ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

### Special Ingredients
- mozzarella cheese
- pizza sauce
- other toppings if desired

### Instructions
- bloom yeast. mix remaining staple ingredients
- knead until elastic and only slightly tacky, 5 min
- place into oiled bowl and rise about 1.5 hours, until doubled in size
- divide dough in half, preheat oven to 500°F
- make pizza
- bake 12-15 minutes

Recipes