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Leena Eats: Just kidding…NOW I’m back! And with dinner party photos!

Leena Eats: Just kidding...NOW Im back! And with dinner party photos!

DUDE. You guys. I made this. For reals. Lovin the Momofuku Milkbar cookbook right now!

So. I said I was back, and clearly, I lied. What I actually meant is, hi, see you again in four months or so. Leena Eats: Just kidding...NOW Im back! And with dinner party photos!

I spent from mid-June through early October studying my ass off for a little test called the GRE, because I decided hey, wouldn’t it be fun to get a doctorate and research food and culture for a living? It paid off, because I didn’t completely fail the math, and I did ok in the verbal and kick-ass in the essay section. BUT. It also meant no brain energy was left at the end of day to cook, let alone blog about food. Or exercise. Or eat well.

But I did occasionally bust out some winners, the cake above included. That bad-ass monstrosity was a chocolate chip cake layered with passion fruit curd, chocolate crumbles, and coffee buttercream frosting from the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook.

More after the jump!

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December 12th, 2012
Posted in Appetizers, Leena Cooks, Leena Eats, Mains, Meat, Parties, Pork, Sorbet, Soup/Salad, The Gastronomical Leena, Vegetables | 4 Comments »

Leena Cooks: Ruth Reichl’s Mushroom Soup

Leena Cooks: Ruth Reichls Mushroom Soup

A little Berkeley, a little mushroom--the perfect compliment to a chilly winter day!

Let me be crystal clear here–Ruth Reichl is my Tom Cruise, my Justin Timberlake, my Barbara Streisand. Very few people make me lose my shit. Ruth is one.

She is the godmother of modern food writing who lived in the Bay area for part of her life (like me!), loved the world of food and writing about it (like me!), and was the last editor of the iconic Gourmet Magazine before it closed down (one day!).

The fact is, while there are millions of food writers today in the world, it is difficult to find good examples of food writing career paths for people just starting in the field. Especially just ten years ago, when I was first starting. I immersed myself in the world of Ruth Reichl’s stories of a life filled with food, each accompanied by a recipe from that time. I literally and figuratively ate it up!

More story, food porn and the recipe after the jump!

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February 8th, 2012
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Leena Cooks: Food Porn Daily: The Cookbook’s Chorizo Bistro Salad!

Leena Cooks: Food Porn Daily: The Cookbooks Chorizo Bistro Salad!

Chorizo and caramelized mushroom bistro salad with poached egg from Food Porn Daily: The Cookbook

I am not really one to follow a recipe. I always start off with the best intentions to, but soon I realize I am missing an ingredient or have a better ingredient/idea/method in mind than the author of the recipe, and all hell breaks out. Sure, I may end up with a delicious dish, but who knows what mysterious, tasty delights the actual recipe held?

So when my gal Amanda over at Food Porn Daily published her first cookbook, I figured once, JUST ONCE, I could try to follow a recipe. I picked her chorizo bistro salad with caramelized crimini mushrooms, poached eggs and sherry vinaigrette…and I pretty much followed her entire recipe, save for some avocado I threw in at the last moment (old habits die hard…and avocados rock).

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January 10th, 2011
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Posted in Leena Cooks, Main, Mains, Meat, Pork, Soup/Salad, Vegetables | Comments Off

Leena Cooks: Thanksgiving starter- Curried Sweet Potato and Apple Soup with Curry-fried Shallots

Leena Cooks: Thanksgiving starter Curried Sweet Potato and Apple Soup with Curry fried Shallots

The perfect Thanksgiving or holiday starter: my curried sweet potato and apple soup with curry-fried shallots.

This soup is a favorite of mine–it yields maximum flavor for minimal effort, and the sweet potato makes it perfect for any holiday meal. The key is frying your curry spices before making the soup, and making fresh curry powder if possible. Get the recipe after the jump.

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November 1st, 2010
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Posted in Appetizers, Holidays, Leena Cooks, Soup/Salad | 4 Comments »

Leena Cooks: The Perfect BBQ side dish- Swiss Chard salad with pickled cherries

Leena Cooks: The Perfect BBQ side dish Swiss Chard salad with pickled cherries

Swiss chard: from stalk to cold sweet and sour salad!

This month on Leena Eats,  I’m featuring the dishes I think go into the perfect bbq. Today’s recipe is a side dish, and one of my favorite: cold swiss chard salad with pickled cherries. I’ve always admired swiss chard’s rainbow-colored stalks, and I was stoked to find a recipe that makes it tastes like it looks–like a sweet and sour rainbow. And when it comes to hosting bbqs, you want a side dish that you can make in advance (check), that doesn’t need to be heated and can contrast with the hot food you are grilling up (check), and that can compliment your food (check).

The recipe and more food porn after the jump.

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August 9th, 2010
Posted in BBQ, Leena Cooks, Side dish, Soup/Salad | Comments Off

Leena Cooks: Baked Potato Soup

Leena Cooks: Baked Potato Soup

Some of the makings for my baked potato soup

I’m going to be up front with you–I make a kick-ass baked potato soup. It was one of the first recipes I adapted and changed before actually cooking the first time, and five years later, not much has changed.

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April 12th, 2010
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Leena cooks: C.I.’s Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup

Leena cooks: C.I.s Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup

You know how Campbell’s tomato soup comes out of the can in one fell slump sort of like cranberry sauce? This soup isn’t NEARLY as fun, but about 712 million times more delicious.

My first Californian winter has been a lot like my first South Australian winter: a bit rainy, leaves changing colors and falling, and slightly chilly weather. And by slightly, I mean 47 F at the lowest Leena cooks: C.I.s Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup Which is awesome. But I’m such a weather wimp, that is actually a bit nippy for me.

But as the rest of the country goes through Snowmaggedon and subzero weather (I’m looking at you, Chicago), I thought you might appreciate a nice soup and sandwich recipe to warm you up. So this week, I’m making creamy creamless tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich made from homemade brioche.

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February 15th, 2010
Posted in Appetizers, Leena Cooks, Soup/Salad | 3 Comments »

Leena Cooks: A killer butternut squash soup w/ rye crumbs

Leena Cooks: A killer butternut squash soup w/ rye crumbs

Moving across the country was not as easy as moving across the world. When we moved to Australia a few years back, we moved out of our apartment and packed up our entire life in a day (and did it badly). We had a giant party with tons of food and drinking and friends, and there was a general feeling of happiness and excitement, perhaps because this move had a definite end date.

This time, there was the never-ending chore of packing, and considering I packed up my entire kitchen AND all of my knives first, clearly this is not something I excel at. My husband and I had graduated from playing binge drinking games to hosting dinner parties, so a giant going away party wasn’t on the agenda. We were overwhlemed at the amount of people we wanted to see before we moved and trying to fit it into our last few weeks. We realized how many good friends we were leaving, and sadly, parted ways with a few as well.

And the entire time, this bitch was craving some homecooking but had no kitchen. Read the rest of this entry »

December 11th, 2009
Posted in Leena Cooks, Soup/Salad | 2 Comments »

Leena Cooks: Melted Caprese Salad

Leena Cooks: Melted Caprese Salad
My favorite breakfast, lunch or dinner in the summer months: melted caprese salad.

We got our first ripe tomato in our CSA box last week, and I’m not gonna lie–I danced a little. My own little fretful version of booty dance that–in some instances–could be just as painful as Chinese water torture. Needless to say, it takes a lot of freaking joy to get me to booty dance, which that tomato brought. It also takes a little Jay-Z. Read the rest of this entry »

July 6th, 2009
Posted in Leena Cooks, Soup/Salad | 12 Comments »

Leena Cooks: Spicy Broccoli Soup with Bacon

Leena Cooks: Spicy Broccoli Soup with Bacon
My spicy broccoli soup with bacon and marinated mozzarella toasts.

When it comes to soup, I must confress I am a dipper. My husband enjoys eating a hot liquid, the process of it, the way it feels in his mouth, so comforting and delicious. But myself? A dipping MACHINE–if there is a piece of bread/toast/cracker/wafer within reaching distance, I will probably slather it with something delicious and dip it in the soup. I dip, therefore I am. I used to feel bad about this fact, and generally avoided eating soup because I figured if I can’t simply enjoy eating soup sans carbs, then I shouldn’t eat it at all. Clearly, I was drunk. I now realize that soup is an equal-opportunity food, open to both those who enjoy it’s liquid aspects as well as those who enjoy it’s dip-ability. Ain’t no shame in my dipping game. Read the rest of this entry »

June 8th, 2009
Posted in Leena Cooks, Soup/Salad | Comments Off

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