Apartment Dinner

My attempt at making potstickers. My friends here at in the apartment complex has started this weekend dinner thing where each one of us picks a weekend to cook for everyone else. I volunteered for this weekend but unlike the previous dinners, I didn't make a big chunk of animal; I made potstickers and rice cakes both of which I've never made by myself before. The potsticker came out okay but the rice cakes were weird. Some of them were uncooked in the center and it tasted a bit too flour-y. I think I didn't drain them well enough. Stir fried with chicken and bean sprouts with chicken stock to cover the flour taste, it wasn't half bad. Too bad I don't have any chili sauce or it would have been so much better. And yes! I made the potstickers...well, the filling anyway and wrapped and pinched the pleats. Nothing frozen here!

Soup!

I found the recipe for Zuppa Toscana soup online. Just like at the Olive Garden! I love this soup and decided to attempt to make it on my own. I used too much red pepper flakes so the soup turned out a bit spicier than real thing but I liked it anyway. I should have peeled the potatoes before I put it into the pot so the soup was a bit "crunchy" but hey, fiber is good for you. With some fresh "garden herb" bread, I had a very hearty meal. Considering how much I made, I'll have soup for a week.

Elisa cooks for herself

Look, look, I can cook! I made breaded chicken breast, mashed potatoes, and mixed veggies. This is pretty much the standard meal for me. Maybe now Grandma can stop worrying about me not eating enough.

Chinese New Year in SLO

My friend, Cynthia, decided to attempt a Chinese New Year Feast this year and asked me to co-host. I bought the chicken and roast duck. Together we made the rice cake with pork, sautee Chinese vegetables, lettuce wrap with a chicken, celery, and bean sprout filling, tomato-egg-chicken side for the rice, onion pancakes, and red bean tapicoa for dessert. We managed to serve 12 people in my little apartment and paper plates and plastic utensils meant no dishes to wash.