Whole Wheat Pasta with Wilted Shallots, Mushrooms, and Fresh Mozzerella

Pasta makes a quick and easy lunch or dinner at the drop of a hat.  In restaurants, pasta dishes can be extremely costly, which is interesting seeing as it is generally one of the cheapest dishes for any kitchen to make.  Making pasta at home gives you the freedom to make it just how you like it.  The addition of a few different ingredients can make any pasta dish more interesting and much tastier.  

I always make my own sauce for my pasta, because there's not much more in the jarred sauces than tomato, salt, pepper, and maybe some herbs.  I can do that myself - cheaper and better.  From start to finish, this dish will take about 15 - 20 minutes.  Also known as dinner in a snap.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Wilted Shallots, Mushrooms, and Mozzarella

Served 2.

Leftover Potential: Keeps very well, re-heats perfectly.  Made 4 meals after the initial dinner.

1 lb whole wheat pasta

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 Tbsp tomato paste

15 oz. crushed tomatoes

2 tbsp basil, chiffonade

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

4 ounces mushrooms, sliced

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 ball fresh mozzarella, cubed

pepperocini, as needed for garnish

1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium high heat.  Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 5-7 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

2.  In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook until translucent.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

3.  Add the tomato paste.  Stir to combine.  Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer over low heat.  Season with basil, salt, pepper, and any other desired herbs.  

4.  Add the mushrooms and shallots.   Allow to cook until the mushrooms are soft and the shallots are wilted. 

5.  Add the pasta and toss to coat.  Add the fresh mozzarella, stirring to combine and distribute.  Turn off the heat.

6.  Serve in hot plates, topped with sliced pepperocini.

Steamed Pork Buns

This is one of my all-time favorite foods. It's a perfect combination of meat and dough that is delicious enough to be a meal but casual enough to be eaten with your hands. I first fell in love with these at Momofuku in New York City. While the steamed bun is Chinese in origin, there are a variety of Asian influences in the modern bun.


Many restaurants buy their buns and only make the fillings fresh, as the process for the perfect steamed bun is a little complicated. But fresh buns are so delicious, as I discovered in my quest to make my own last year. Though they are traditionally made with Hong Kong flour, my version used cake flour, which is much easier to find.

These buns are easy and delicious with any kind of filling, and are the perfect answer to leftover meat in your fridge - shred a roasted chicken, dice up some steak, or, as I did, peel the tender meat off of some delicious pork ribs.

Steamed Pork Buns

Makes 10 small buns.

Leftover Potential: There definitely will not be any left.

Steamed Buns:

3 1/2 cups (12 oz) cake flour, sifted

1 3/4 Tbsp (0.90) oz sugar

pinch salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp (3.50 grams) active dry yeast)

1/2 cup (4.10 oz) water

1/4 cup (2.60 oz) milk

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder to combine. When it is well mixed, add the yeast, and mix completely to evenly distribute.

2. In a small pot, heat the water and milk over medium heat. It should feel warm to the touch, but not hot (about 110 degrees). If the mixture gets to hot, cool it down at room temperature.

3. Make a well in the flour mixture, and slowly pour the liquids in. Mix to with fingers to combine, then knead into a smooth dough. By hand, this should take about 4-5 minutes.

4. Place the dough back into the bowl. Cover completely with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a warm place until double in size, about 20 minutes.

5. Divide the dough into 10 even pieces. Roll the dough into circles about 1/4 inch in thickness.

To Finish:

hoisin sauce, as needed

shredded pork, as needed

1 bunch scallions, finely sliced

10 wax paper or aluminum foil squares, cut into 3" by 3" squares

sriracha, or other spicy chili sauce, as needed for garnish

1. Heat a large pot filled with about 2 inches of water over medium high heat. Place the bamboo steamer on top of the pot. Make sure the lid to the steamer is completely attached.

2. Place a little bit of hoisin sauce on each round of dough, and spread gently to coat the center.

3. Place a mound of shredded meat in the center of each round.

4. Sprinkle generously with scallions.

5. Bring the edges of the dough towards the center, using your fingers to pinch the dough together. Turn the assembled bun over, keeping the sealed side down. Place each bun on a square of wax paper or aluminum foil. This will keep the buns from sticking to the steamer.

6. Place the buns inside the steamer. Depending on it's size, you can steam 5-10 at a time, utilizing the different layers. Steam each bun for 7-9 minutes, or until they are cooked through.

7. Serve with plenty of sriracha and enjoy!

Apartment-Worthy Kitchen Equipment

Yesterday I bought my first piece of new, somewhat specialized piece of equipment for the apartment kitchen. I don't have a lot of money or space to buy new things, but I am a foodie at heart. This means any equipment I invest in has to be practical, inexpensive, and have multiple uses.

Which is precisely why my first purchase was a bamboo steamer. Priced as low as $9 - $17 dollars, these steamers are great for a number of uses in the kitchen. They're easy to use, relatively compact (can range in size from 3" - 20" in circumference), and can be utilized in a number of ways: steaming vegetables, meats, fish, dim sum, dumplings, and even for baked goods such as breads, puddings, and cakes.



These can be purchased at kitchen supply stores, Asian markets, and even specialty grocery stores. At $15, my 10 inch bamboo steamer was an excellent investment, and I can't wait to use it.