i am a food blog

i am a food blog 2015 holiday gift guide

I Am... 2015 Holiday Gift Guide

November 27, 2015 • 8 comments • Posted in: 2015 gift guide, gift guide

Happy Friday! It's the day after Thanksgiving and that means it's time for leftovers and the start of the holiday season! My eyes get extra sparkly right around now because it really is the most wonderful time of the year. Just a couple more days until the beginning of my all time favorite holiday season – the season of food indulgence and gift giving. I’m obsessed with gift giving and I really really love gift guides so, here we go, these are my picks for 2015.

sweet and sour crispy chicken strips recipe - www.iamafoodblog.com

chinese food dinner meat recipes

I Am... Sweet and Sour Crispy Chicken Strips

November 25, 2015 • 21 comments • Posted in: buttermilk, chicken, chicken breast, chinese, soy sauce, sweet and sour

Mike and I spent the last week or so in Iceland and I'm completely smitten. I feel like this country has it all: gorgeously fluffy sheep, black sand beaches, glaciers, and an increased chance of seeing the aurora. We had been kicking around the idea of visiting Iceland for while and I'm so happy that we finally did. It's otherworldly here.

tuna melt waffle recipe - www.iamafoodblog.com

breakfast brunch recipes seafood Vegetarian Recipes

I Am... Sunday Brunch: Tuna Melt Waffles

November 22, 2015 • 4 comments • Posted in: cheddar, green onions, tuna, waffles

Are you guys fans of tuna? I used to be obsessed with tuna fish sandwiches in elementary school, until someone made fun of my smelly lunch. I was pretty sensitive as a kid, so after that I only ever ate tuna sandwiches at home. But, it wasn't really too much of a problem, because tuna sandwiches are really so much better as tuna melts! Who doesn't love tuna and melty cheese on toasted bread?

a vietnamese thanksgiving feast with turkey five ways - www.iamafoodblog.com

dinner meat recipes vietnamese food

I Am... Thanksgiving Turkey Five Ways

November 19, 2015 • 12 comments • Posted in: cilantro, fish sauce, green onions, rice paper, thanksgiving, turkey, vietnamese

I know this guy whose family used to eat a turkey dinner every month. I'm talking oven roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, the entire works. He used to complain about it, but it sounded (still sounds) like heaven to a turkey lover like me! But, now that I think about it a little more, it probably wasn't a traditional turkey dinner at all. It's a lot more likely that they ate it turkey rice style, a popular regional Taiwanese way of cooking turkey. To them, turkey didn't equal Thanksgiving the way it does in North America. To them, turkey was delicious, regardless of the time of year, probably because it was a taste of home.

sweet and savory cheddar cheese muffins - www.iamafoodblog.com

breakfast brunch recipes

I Am... Sweet and Savory Cheddar Cheese Muffins

November 17, 2015 • 24 comments • Posted in: brunch, buttermilk, cheddar, cheese, mini, muffins

Sometimes I see little kids at the mall with their parents and it brings me right back to when my mom used to take me along with her to run errands. I used to be bored out of my mind. I didn't at all understand why or how my mom could spend what seemed to me hours, picking out fruits and vegetables – or worse yet – household stuff. There was a silver lining though – errands always ended with a trip to the library (yes, I was a nerdy kid) and a stop for cheddar cheese muffins.

bacon and egg bao - www.iamafoodblog.com

breakfast brunch chinese food quickie recipes sandwiches

I Am... Sunday Brunch: Bacon and Egg Gua Bao

November 8, 2015 • 10 comments • Posted in: bacon, bao, breakfast, brunch, cucumber, egg, green onions, hoisin

Have you guys had bao before? It's kind of a catch all term for steamed buns – you know the kind that you see at dim sum in the steamy baskets, or maybe at your favorite Chinese joint, with pork belly tucked in? Bao come in all shapes and sizes but I'm especially fond of the fold over variety. When I see them, all puffy and fluffy, just waiting for fillings to be stuffed in, I get a little giddy thinking about the multitude of possibilities out there.

scoobi doo pasta with burrata and tomatoes - www.iamafoodblog.com

10 ingredients or less 30 minutes or less dinner noodles quickie recipes Vegetarian Recipes

I Am... Scoobi Doo Pasta with Burrata and Tomatoes

November 5, 2015 • 18 comments • Posted in: 30 minute meals, basil, burrata, italian american, pasta, peas, tomatoes

Did you guys know that spiral macaroni (cavatappi) is also known as scoobi doo? I find that completely hilarious and cute. It makes me want to eat spiral macaroni all the much more now that I know that it has a cutesy name. Pet names for pasta aside, this pasta dish is a last summer hurrah. I know we're in the thick of fall (and winter is coming), but I still see clamshells of hot house tomatoes at the store. The other day I caved and bought a package of rainbow cherry tomatoes because they brought a smile to my face.

chinese bbq pork buns - www.iamafoodblog.com

bread brunch chinese food meat recipes sandwiches

I Am... Dim Sum Barbecue Pork Buns

November 1, 2015 • 18 comments • Posted in: barbecue, bbq, buns, chinese, pork

I don't know about you guys, but these days I don't have the opportunity to make as many new friends as I did when I was younger. The older I get, the harder it is to really connect with people. Maybe it's because I'm a crotchety old lady, or maybe it's because life is so much more complicated than, "hey, come over after school and play." Still, every once in a while someone comes along who I fall in friend-love with. Full disclosure: if I like you, I tend to latch on with a fierceness that I'm afraid can be a little bit alarming.

link love words

I Am... Friday Finds: 10.30.15

October 30, 2015 • 1 comment • Posted in: friday finds, link love, totoro, totoro week

Happy Halloween Friends! I hope you guys have some fun stuff planned? Mike and I are going to a restaurant that we've been meaning to try for a while, so no costumes for us, but I'm super excited anyway. I'm also excited about November just because it means we're that much closer to Christmas. For the first time in a while, we won't be in Tokyo for Christmas which feels a little strange. A couple of my friends are traveling in Tokyo right now and I'm definitely feeling Tokyo fever. Nonetheless, Mike and I will be traveling a bit in November so there's that to look forward to!

easy kabocha soup with totoro egg in a hole recipe - www.iamafoodblog.com

quickie recipes soup totoro week Vegetarian Recipes

I Am... Japanese Kabocha Pumpkin Soup with Totoro Egg Toasts

October 29, 2015 • 14 comments • Posted in: Japanese, kabocha, pumpkin, totoro, totoro week

I cannot believe that it's the end of October already. Halloween is just around the corner, but I'm not dressing up this year. I keep meaning to get all crafty and make costumes, but time always runs away from me. Instead I've been busy dressing up my food as Totoro.

avocado totoro soot sprite onigiri - www.iamafoodblog.com

quickie recipes snacks totoro week Vegetarian Recipes

I Am... Totoro Soot Sprite Avocado Onigiri

October 27, 2015 • 21 comments • Posted in: avocado, green onions, Japanese, rice, seaweed, totoro, totoro week

Are you guys familiar with onigiri? They're Japanese rice balls and they're incredibly popular as a simple meal or snack. Even if you haven't eaten them before, you've probably spotted the onigiri emoji – it's the white triangle (rice) food item with a tiny black square (seaweed) at the bottom. Onigiri are ubiquitous in Japan; walk into any convenience store and you'll find a wall of triangular (and round) onigiri just waiting to be eaten.