1/26/23
Let there be CAKE: Flourless Chocolate Cake with Cayenne
1/12/23
Russian Recipes Revisited: Pirozhki (Piroshki)
Labels: baking, beef, Russian recipes revisited
1/3/23
New Year, New Recipe: Layered Pistachio Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting & Mango Jam
I love the texture of the cake but think I slightly overbaked it. The frosting was smooth and quite easy to make...I still have some leftovers in the fridge.
I shared the cake with four friends, a few buy nothing fb group friends, and had 3 (!!!) slices myself: I call it a success. There's one slice in my freezer!
Going forward, I will try my best to post more photos and links to recipes I've made or the ones I've created.
Happy 2023!
12/13/22
In Praise of Braised Lamb Shanks with Butternut Squash
Oh let me count the reasons I absolutely loved this Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks with Butternut Squash from Cooking With Cocktail Rings blog.
There were hardly any hands on tasks in this recipe! You brown the lamb shanks, then brown butternut squash and carrots (I left out zucchini and celery), add in the wine, the broth (I used chicken instead of beef), and nest the lamb shanks in the mixture before letting the oven do the rest of the job.
Two and a half hours later, your kitchen will smell divine, and the meat will be beyond tender! I served the lamb shanks on top of chunky mashed potatoes with a side of salad, baguette, and a glass of red wine.
My friend Jazmin and I had a fabulous dinner with plenty of leftovers for a few more meals.
Why don't I braise meat more often?
11/29/22
Winter Dessert: Upside Down Cranberry Cake
You know how they say (whoever they are) not to make a new recipe for a dinner party? Well, I did just that when I went over to my friend Jazmin's house for Thanksgiving.
I wanted to try a new recipe and happened to see a recipe for Upside Down Cranberry Cake on Simply Recipes website.
The recipe could not have been easier to follow even though it was my first time making caramel (I know!). Luckily, the combination of butter and brown sugar did not burn (neither did it burn my hands when I poured it into the cake pan).
The cranberries went in next, followed by a pretty simple batter which included sour cream. Any time a cake or muffins recipe has sour cream or yogurt, you are almost always guaranteed a success.
The only deviation I made from the recipe was to not use cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. I know, I know, I know! I just do not like those spices. Instead, I added a splash of vanilla extract Jazmin made and gifted me.
The cake smelled and looked incredible! To make the cake even more festive, I topped it with homemade whipped cream and sugared fresh cranberries.
The cake was quite a success at Thanksgiving and tasted equally as great the next day, and the next, and the next! The last few slices are safely wrapped in plastic and stored in my freezer.
11/22/22
Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
Remember me? I know it's been a while: I really should get back to regular blogging!
9/14/22
Mango & Raspberry Pavlova
While in Seattle, I made my first full-sized pavlova using Mary Berry recipe under my twin Anna's supervision.
I topped it with slightly sweetened homemade whipped cream and fresh raspberries and mango. A bit of powdered sugar was the final touch.
Everyone, especially my mom, loved it!!
8/4/22
TBT: Flower Arrangement Classes
Did you know that over the last 3 years I've taught more than ten private and group flower arrangement classes both in person and virtually?
I love how much happiness flowers bring into my life and enjoy sharing the techniques I picked up over the years with others. Below are some of the arrangements I've made in the past.
You can see even more of my love of flowers here or on instagram. If you are interested in a class, please email me at olga@mangotomato.com!
Which of these is your favorite?
Labels: flowers
8/2/22
Travel Tuesday: Phoenix, Scottsdale & Sedona, Arizona
Hi, friends.
Can you believe I've not updated my blog since November 2021? No worries, I've still been cooking, eating out, taking photos of food, traveling, and sharing all these adventures on instagram.
In honor of Travel Tuesday, however, I thought I'd share with you a fun (I hope) write up about my trip to Arizona with my twin and two of our friends in April.
If you want to get away and discover Arizona, you don’t have to choose just one city. Find a hotel or an Airbnb in Phoenix, rent a car, and you’ll be able to visit Scottsdale and Sedona during the same trip! Below are a few highlights for each city from my trip earlier this year.
Phoenix
Desert Botanical Garden: whenever I travel, I always visit a botanical garden if one is located nearby. This garden, however, stood out amongst all others because of thousands of varieties of cacti showcased in 55 acres of desert landscape.
Little Miss BBQ: get a plate with 2 sides! I recommend sliced brisket, potato salad, and coleslaw. If you are a vegetarian, you’ll have to stick to mac and cheese, cheddar jalapeno grits, potato salad, and smoked pecan pie.
Harumi Sushi: sushi may not be the first cuisine you think of when you are in Arizona, but this was a great find because the restaurant gets fresh seafood flown overnight from places like Scotland and Nova Scotia. Harumi Sushi was voted best sushi in the state of Arizona in 2021, and I could see why: great variety of sushi and sashimi at reasonable prices, especially when compared to DC, and friendly service.
Scottsdale
Taliesin West: if you are a fan of architecture, and specifically Frank Lloyd Wright, this is a must-see attraction. Take a guided tour, don’t forget to bring sunscreen and water, and learn about Wright’s life and his thoughts on organic architecture while walking through the grounds and taking a peek into the building and studio spaces.
Pinnacle Peak Park: wake up early, put on your tennis shoes, grab sunscreen and water and drive out to the park for a moderate hike with great views of the city and countless opportunities to take photos with cacti in the background.
Sedona: for slightly cooler temperatures and a change of scenery, drive to Sedona for a day.
Crescent Moon Picnic Area: this is a beautiful area featuring Red Rocks and perfect for a stroll especially around the sunset. Don’t forget to take a photo of the Cathedral Rock and dip your feet into the nearby stream.
Book your flight, pack your bags, and have an unforgettable vacation.
11/9/21
The Best Japanese Milk Bread Recipe
My discovery of The Best Japanese Milk Recipe** all started with me wanting to make Japanese egg salad sandwich with Japanese mayonnaise and a fun way of presenting the sandwich (when cut in half, you see a cross-section of an egg). Why not also bake Japanese Milk Bread then, I thought!?
Never having even tried Japanese Milk Bread, but hearing quite a bit of praise for it, I googled for a recipe and found Caroline's Cooking blog. I followed Caroline's recipe exactly and was stunned at the results. My friends were too. The bread was so pillowy and slightly sweet and smelled divine. The sandwich did not disappoint either.
**This is The Best recipe because it's the only one I've baked and have no need for another one.
I don't know if anyone is even reading this, but if you are, please leave a comment and tell me the latest new recipe you tried!