Eating new foods is always an experience; sometimes it goes really well, and other times – not so much. For example, after my friend from Columbia made me taste a couple of Chocolate Covered Ants (a delicacy in his country,) I had to excuse myself for a few minutes. But when I tried PB&J sandwich
Gluten Free
Eggplant Sandwich Tacos (GF, LC, P variations)
Do you ever come up with an incredible recipe idea that you just HAVE to share with the rest of the world, so you create it and you photograph it and everything is perfect, but right before you post you realize that the photos of the delicious dish are all terrible? And no matter how
Lemon Curd Almond Sandwich Cookies (grain & gluten-free)
I love Sundays! No gym in the morning, no after-school activities to schlep my kids to. Zero commitments… On Sundays, it is ME time from the moment I wake up! I spend most of my ME time either in the kitchen or the art room… Concocting extravagant breakfasts, making cards and jewelry, painting, sketching, photographing
Low-Carb Paleo Bread
My daughter spent 3 weeks at a sleep-away camp and came back home with lots of beautiful memories and one major stomach upset! After weeks of listening to her camp stories and trying to get her stomach issues under control, it was time for a more aggressive medical intervention. So, in a blink of an
Cultured Cream Feta
I love getting out of my bubble, traveling the world: learning new cultures, enjoying different experiences, feeling alive. My favorite part about traveling, though, is trying new cuisines and then bringing home ideas for future recipes. An idea for this post came out of the airport in Romania. My first time in the business class lounge,
Coconut Milk Kefir
If there’s one food I’ve missed since starting my newest diet, it’s Kefir. The last time I got to enjoy it was during the summer of 2015 at Pine Mountain Lake—the same time I came to accept that the delicious dairy beverage would never touch my lips again. My stomach had been flaring up each
Baba Ganoush
After living in our Foster City home for over 11 years, we have finally decided to remodel our kitchen! In just a few months, I’ll be stirring a pot of Swiss Chard stew atop my brand new stove. And storing Sesame Salmon Balls inside a brand new fridge. Toasting Spicy Coconut Chips inside a brand new
Spicy Coconut Chips
I am all for trying new recipes that are high in good fats. Because when you do not eat carbs, you need to raise your fat intake. And coconut, being so low in polyunsaturated fat and high in antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant properties, is really my most preferred source of that good-quality fat. That is
Sesame Salmon Balls With Ginger Tahini Sauce + GIVEAWAY
Wow! My first lowcarb Chanukah celebration! Wait, isn’t that an oxymoron – a low-carb Chanukah? A holiday that is traditionally carb galore: Potato Latkes, noodle kugel, jelly donuts. Yes, there is also a brisket somewhere there as well, but it is the carbs that take the center stage. Well, this year, I was forced to
Oil-Free Paleo Pesto Zucchini Noodles
I’m the type of girl that shies away from trends. For example, way back when every girlfriend of mine was in love with Brad Pitt, I fancied Angelina Jolie. And when everyone was getting diamond earrings for their birthdays, I was psyched about my new shiny design books. So when the whole world went zoodle-crazy,
Vegetarian Tortilla Soup – My Way
In our house, I am defiantly the obsessive health advocate. The person who keeps her kids from spending their lives in front of a computer, with a bowl of something carby, greasy or processed. But the truth is that everyone, even those of us hell-bent on staying healthy, has at least one guilty pleasure. Mine
Lightest Hummus on Earth
I’ve been on a path to heal my achy gut this past year. I’ve tried many different approaches, but none have produced any good (or shall I say “gut”) results. The newest one is all about eliminating foods high in insoluble fiber, which is pretty challenging for someone who’s had a love affair with chia
Peruvian Quinoa Tortilla
I’m about to call it quits! It all started with my husband. He waited until our wedding to casually inform me that he eats kosher. That sent me for a spin, as I really liked my seafood and pepperoni pizza. Then my son was diagnosed with food allergies soon after he was born. So our
Soondubu Stew
When a health-conscious girl from Moldova makes Korean food in the States, it looks something like this: A BIG MESS. In other words, a Soondubu Stew. Soondubu, proper pronunciation not required, means “extra soft tofu”. My variation on the stew does not call for any tofu. Sorry. Inspired by both a Russian soup Solyanka and a Korean
Brussels Sprouts Chips
I once ordered a side of Brussels Sprouts chips in a little restaurant in Guerneville. They were fried, salty and so SO good! Definitely not something I would attempt to make at home! (I said to myself as I left the restaurant.) Definitely something I tried making minutes after I pulled into the driveway! And my
Chia Cheese Crisps
Now that the first Seder is just behind us and the Matza supply is on the verge of depletion, it is time to spice things up for the rest of the Passover! Lets start with Chia Cheese Crisps. 2 ingredients; endless possibilities. This is yet another one of those Cucee Originals, like the Grilled Cheese Egg and
Goat Cheese Cherry Quinoa Salad with Almond and Basil Gremolata
Welcome to my hell. Lets talk about asthma for a moment. I rescue a kitty and suddenly, BOOM, non-stop cough, tightness in my chest, breathing issues… So I see a doctor, who surprises me with a diagnosis – a case of kitten-induced Asthma. Full house of inhalers, nose sprays, prescription bottles and I finally breathe
Morning Coffee Bowl
I like cooking from recipes, I do! Find a recipe, buy all the ingredients, pour a glass of wine and cook away. However, being a mom of two curious children who want to be a part of every after-school activity imaginable, this way of cooking no longer seems to work for me (most of the time.) So I
Tarragon Lemon Summer Squash Soup
Everyone has at least ONE vegetable they CANNOT stand. For whichever reason that may be… For some, it’s that “healthy” vegetable they were force-fed as a child; for others, it is the one they’ve overdone on at some point in life! As for me – that evil cadevil is celery (don’t ask!) For my husband
Strawberries in Minted Honey Syrup
I start my day with a hot cup of Peet’s. Every day. I sip on freshly squeezed lemonade with my kids on the warm summer afternoons. Or bubbly Pellegrino. I drink red wine (the bolder variety) at dinner on non-gym nights, or with friends on weekends. Sometimes on gym nights as well. I reach for
Black Swan Pavlova
My life is full of meringue memories. Slow Sunday mornings, no school, my favorite childhood TV program on, a plate of freshly baked snow-white vanilla meringues next to whichever fruit is in season. Sheer happiness. 11 years old. My friends crowding over a cassette player I just received from my “American” grandma, listening to the
Quick Scallion Kimchee
No personal anecdotes to share this time. Just One Really Good Recipe, from One Good Dish. You know that the cookbook is good when you frantically bookmark recipe after recipe until you cover most of the pages (or run out of post-it’s.) So, I am temporarily putting all of my other cookbooks on hold until
White on White: Cauliflower Soufflé
Happy 2014! May this year bring you a lot of cauliflower, wheat berries, and chocolate! Cooking is an art form. And as with any art, it takes time to master. First, you learn the skill by copying someone else’s perfection. Recipe after recipe. You learn to broil, cream, and season. You practice until, finally, you close
Homemade Vanilla Extract
The following recipe is a no-brainer and only consists of three simple ingredients Vanilla beans Vodka Patience But it produces One very potent vanilla extract and Lots of sweetness and laughter My little girl, an older child, a dreamer, a Taylor Swift fan, came home from school, dropped her bag by the door, gave
Kimchi
Sometimes I get so frustrated. Just the other day, I was feeling a need for comfort food and decided to make a pot of hearty Korean Kimchi Stew. I drove to Whole Foods, grabbed a pound of beef, a couple of onions and a package of red pepper paste. I reached for a jar of
Sweet Corn Ceviche
I get so excited when I stumble upon a new culinary discovery. I walk around feeling all proud, with a huge smile on my face and a strong urge to share! My latest discovery is corn. No, I’m not talking about having made a brand new grain discovery (that was done for me a long
Grilled Cheese Egg
Ah, the beauty of camping: simplicity, tranquility, nature. Having all the devices turned off, cookbooks stashed away. The smell of fresh summer air and grilled meat, fire-roasted potatoes, s’mores. No disturbances from the outside world, no interruptions, just you being one with nature. This is what I’ve known camping to be. My last camping trip was
Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
My recent lack of motivation has forced me to take a break from cooking and Cuceeing. In the last few months, the only meals I have been putting on the dinner table were healthier-than-takeout, getting-rid-of-spoiling-ingredients, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink meals. But as the holiday season approached, my culinary ego went into an assertive state and forced my creative
An unconventional latke
Here is what makes me Jewish: My naturally curly hair My non-athletic children My hefty Yiddish vocabulary (go ahead, test me!) My extensive collection of latkes recipes Speaking of latkes recipes, this particular one is new, and a fun addition to my Hanukkah repertoire. A little unorthodox potato pancake that defies all laws of gravity
Gypsy soup
I have been living without a range for a whole month! My old range had been sending me death signals for over a year but I kept deliberately ignoring them, just like I ignore any other sign of problems in my life. (I know, I know… not the best coping strategy, but it has worked
Red Pepper Soup
Work life balance no more. I had been the only designer at a small internet startup for years… until the Big Bang explosion of success had happened and the company began expanding like a mushroom cloud. In what feels like a blink, my design department grew to 5-people, with 3 more open recs, and I
Russian gazpacho Okroshka (окрошка)
Odessa, Ukraine. My husband and I are dressed to go out. Dinner, then a nightclub at a beach. A coral dress and blue heels for me. Hair down. A gray v-neck and faded jeans for the hubby. Leather wrap bracelets. It is Saturday night, the air is warm and smells of summer. It is
Wild Rice Salad Bowl with Miso Dressing
Head over hills, forks over knives, miso over sugar — I am in love with this new salad. Is it a life-changing concept? Not really. A new food revelation? Maybe. A new salad recipe? For sure. A cool dressing idea? Bingo. I recently pinterested a recipe idea that mildly shocked my imagination. Miso in a
Blueberry Almond Breakfast Polenta
Last Friday marked the beginning of Passover. Oats, buckwheat and wheat berries have been purposely stashed away; quinoa, cornmeal and amaranth made their way to the table. I have gotten pretty creative with the chametz-free lunches and dinners but breakfast has always been a Passover challenge for me, mainly because there are only so many
Black-Eyed Pea and Quinoa Croquettes
“What would you like, Ma-am?” a flight attendant smiled at me as she parked her cart by row 3, my row for the next 6 hours. Hm, what would I like? I would like a long relaxing massage. A day all to myself with plenty of time to devote to a new complicated recipe and
Creamy Poblano Chile Soup With Corn and Chanterelle Mushrooms
Cucee loved to cook, Cucee lived to cook. Cooking was a creative outlet, a form of meditation and self expression. In a community, the aspiring chef was well known for amazing culinary abilities and an authentic desire to serve others. But no one ever suspected that even Cucee sometimes dreamt of being waited on, cooked
Cucee-green Salsa
The very first dish I ever attempted to prepare myself was a beer-can-chicken (well, actually , glass-of-water-chicken.) As a child, I watched my mom make it often and loved how flavorful, succulent and juicy the chicken would consistently turn out. So, when my boyfriend, the guy I often refer to as “the husband” in my
Caramelized Onions & Mushroom Bake
My 6-year-old son has been known to forget. No, he does not have ADD or ADHD, or any other abbreviated disorder. He is just a happy kid with a condition that I call “selective forgetfulness.” He clearly always remembers: to ask for a desert after dinner, e-v-e-r-y s-i-n-g-l-e d-a-y to leave a trail of
Socca bread
Here, on the island, life is simple. There is no McDonald’s or Cheese Cake Factory. No Home Depot or Costco. No Four Seasons or four star restaurants. No gyms with flat screen TVs, or without. No Starbucks, Applebee’s, department stores, or shopping malls. No traffic jams or traffic lights. But there is a library with
Very Cherry Chocolaty Larabar Truffles
This post is about all the sweet things in life. It is about cherries and chocolate, figs and coconut, sugar, spice and all the things nice. If you have been following Cucee, then you probably know that I am not much of a “desert” person (see my healthiterian manifesto as a reminder.) Well, a while ago I
Three-Seed Cabbage Salad
The following are observations of a backpacking foodie: Sometimes…. Chicken comes prepackaged in a flashy vacuum-sealed plastic bag. Milk resembles powdered cocaine. It is OK to eat fish out of a can. Granola + cold river water make for an interesting breakfast. Instant coffee and bagged tea in the morning help to wake up… even
Baked Oatmeal
As the sweet cinnamon aroma penetrated the walls of the house we rented at the lake Bariessa last weekend, everyone gathered around the kitchen table: my innocently smiling nephew, who returned from crushing an unsuspecting snail with a heel of his shoe, his sleepy parents who spent half the night soothing their new baby, my
Nicoise salad
There has been a lot of excitement around the house in the last few weeks: our daughter was getting ready for her role of Molly in a Tom Sawyer theatrical production. Nervous and excited, she has been rehearsing daily and counting days, no, minutes to the big premiere. On the day of the show she
Soup Kharcho
I have been having some major childhood-food cravings over the last few weeks. I don’t know exactly what triggered my culinary nostalgia. Could it be this unusually cold and rainy for this time of year weather? Or perhaps my grandma’s recent passing? Whatever it was, it just felt like I needed something comforting and warm
Blueberry Surprise Salad
Every member in my family takes a great pride in being good at something. My daughter is really good at reading clouds, ignoring her brother’s orders, spilling milk all over her new dress, reading books in the doorways, matching outfits, and conjugating verbs. My son is very natural at making friends… and making funny faces
Homemade Farmer’s Cheese (aka Tvorog, Ricotta, Cottage Cheese)
“Mommy is making farmer’s cheese again,” I overheard my 5-year old talking to his sister, just as the sweet nursery-soothing scent of warm milk started to fill the house. “Can we make farmer’s cheese together some day?” he asked, as both of them crowded around the stove, watching me stir the pot. I never turn
Granola With Almonds and Coconut
This year, I had my birthday party catered by Insalata’s, a foodie-favored restaurant located north of San Francisco. A friend, who offered to deliver the food to my house on the night of the party, surprised me with a gift of a beautiful Insalata’s cookbook. By now, I’ve read the cookbook cover to cover. Twice.
Quinoa, Avocado, and Sweet Potato Timbale With Roasted Tomatillo Dressing
What can I say, I am married to a rather strange man. Like some other strange people, my husband eats with his eyes first. Even the most fantastically tasting food is not likely to receive his appreciation if the appearance does not get his attention. In other words, for him it has to look good
Emeril’s Vegetarian Chili
When I am stressed, I find slicing, dicing, and cutting to be quite therapeutic. A few Sundays ago, after a full weekend of children and adult activities, I was ready for a date with my cutting board, chef knife, and soup pot for some immediate stress relief. I turned on my flat-screened cooking companion and
Uzbek Lamb Plov with Barberries & Raisins
“The wisdom of the ancients teaches us that there are appropriate times for both feasting on rich foods and for fasting on the simplest fare.” Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon. I don’t know about you, but I generally crave richer foods on the days
Grilled Chicken Salad with Mangoes
I get so excited when people, who try my recipes, tell me how much their families enjoy them. I get very emotional when I learn that Cucee inspires my readers to cook more and to cook healthy. What a rewarding feeling it is to hear a friend enthusiastically share a story of how she made
Quinoa “Mac and Cheese” with Spinach
Quinoa meets Mac ‘n’ Cheese.It is time for another Cucee confession: I love Mac and Cheese. An image of this warm comfort food on my plate takes me back to my childhood… I can just see myself on a chilly winter afternoon, coming home from school to a feel-good plate of creamy pasta and a
Jalapeño-Corn Chowder
I am a girl and I like ruffles, unexpected surprises and charming things. The things that touch my girly soul are: Polka dots and hair clips Sky reflection in the puddle of water on a rainy day Innocence in my boy’s eyes as he paints the sofa with a permanent marker Husband’s capacity to embrace the unconventional
Beet and Orange Soup
I love bold colors and I am not afraid to use them! We had our rooms painted deep orange, buttercup yellow, brick red and silver metallic long before colorful walls became chic in California. My pre-kids car was of a dazzlingly crimson hue and my husband’s yellow Z3 stood out in traffic jams. Peek into
Warm Mezze Hummus
It is not rocket science that eating healthy is a lot harder when you are traveling. Finding Michelin-rated restaurants that serve healthy five-star dishes is often “mission impossible.” Especially if you are dining outside of California. Coming back from vacations is somewhat bitter-sweet for me. A flight home is often accompanied by nostalgia… and a
Roasted Vegetable and Quinoa Salad
Comfort food comes in all textures and flavors. Comfort food is that special dish that your mom made you when you were sick. The dish that helped you get over a bad breakup. The dish that got you through your finals in college. It’s your grandma’s matzo-ball soup. Mom’s mac-and-cheese. Crispy grilled-cheese sandwich. Hearty bowl
Chile-Roasted Feta and Watermelon Slab
Re-think vegetarian cuisine! No more tofu masquerading as meat, pretending to be cheese or camouflaging as scrambled egg! Forget all the cliché vegetarian dishes, often published as an afterthought in cookbooks or listed as menu addendums in restaurants. Meet a vegetarian appetizer that is so original that it will amaze and surprise you. It will
Salmon Sashimi with Blue Cheese and White Miso Puree
The birthday season has officially been kicked off at our house. My hubby opened it with his yesterday and I will close it with mine in January. In our family, birthday parties are loud, with lots of friends, wine and food. But this year, the birthday boy was feeling melancholic and asked for a more private celebration. No loud toasts,
Granny Smith Apple And Yam Soup with Glazed Slivered Almonds
Silky and warming with a hint of ginger and curry, this soup is perfect for a chilly fall night. Granny Smith Apple And Yam Soup with Glazed Slivered Almonds Adapted from A Beautiful Bowl of Soup by Paulette Mitchell Ingredients For the almonds Vegetable oil cooking spray 2 tablespoon agave nectar 1 cup (4 ounces) slivered
Roasted Squash, Pear, and Ginger Soup
I’ve collected quite a few squash recipes over the years. This one is my new favorite. The soup is easy to make and only requires a few key ingredients that you are likely to have at home. Sweet and zesty, it satisfies my fall comfort food cravings. As an added bonus, the soup is low