My fiance’s baking request this weekend was strawberry shortcake! But specifically a “dense sponge”. He likes the biscuit-y strawberry shortcake, then last night had a dream about a field of sponge cake since we were talking about Victoria sponges, so this hybrid was the perfect treat. Fresh whipped cream and macerated strawberries with lemon juice…it’s like spring came early.

My fiance got me a KitchenAid stand mixer for Christmas, so I was excited to try a recipe that I couldn’t make by hand. Pavlova was a perfect, challenging treat to make. Beaten egg whites with stiff peaks, freshly whipped cream, and my own twist with the addition of yummy vanilla pastry cream to add an extra layer of richness (and use up the egg yolks).

I wanted super chewy, rich, fudgy brownies so I found the internet best recipe and made my own tiny tweaks to it. This came out perfect. Chocolatey, not too sweet, the perfect fudgy texture that got chewy as it cooled. Delicious with ice cold milk.

Apple crisp crumble is one of our favorite desserts. So simple to put together, easy to add variations to, and gives you the satisfaction, warmth, and festive fall feel of apple pie without the fuss. I love the mess of eating it in a bowl with ice cream.

We were watching chocolate week on Great British Bake Off when my partner mentioned “you haven’t made us brownies!” and requested mochi brownies. I thought it’d be a fun idea to try half mochi half all-purpose flour brownies, just to see what the texture might be like. It was an experiment. Turned out much more mochi-like than fudgy/chewy brownie-like.

This is maybe the first and only recipe I made from Alison Roman. I made this two Christmases ago for my fiance and his parents. They devoured it and especially loved the crust. In addition to being flaky and butter, it develops this crispy and chewy sugar crust.

This stew is so deeply flavored and hearty. My fiance requested it for his birthday meal, so I learned how to make it in a pressure cooker and absolutely loved seeing all the spices come together in this flavorful broth. Chicken, beef, or pork could also work, but the gamey flavor of lamb works so well with the ras el hanout spice, green olives, apricots, and other stew ingredients.

Bibingka (Filipino mochi cake) is a dessert I bake with & for friends. It’s a comfort food that’s fun to eat and lasts for a week.

I grew up with two kumquat trees in my childhood home. We always have a ton of fruit, and it can be quite sour when eaten fresh. My mom suggested making a jam this Christmas, so we did.

I absolutely love corn, and had a dish like this at Itria in Summer 2024 so had to recreate it at home. I might even say this is better!

My mum-in-law is English and grew up in Newbury, UK so my fiance grew up eating these. Since I’m American, I always thought flapjacks were pancakes. These are totally different and absolutely delicious.

My fiancee requested this cake for his birthday after we ate it at Frances in SF for an anniversary. It’s such a uniquely rustic and delicious cake. Please enjoy it warm!

Hot pot is such a nourishing comfort food. We eat it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and many other holidays. I like making a single-serve version at home in my pressure cooker. It’s easy to meal prep, with packets of frozen vegetables, meats, and whatever other toppings you like. The broth is a mix of Little Sheep soup base and Golden curry cubes. My favorite items are enoki mushrooms, kabocha, tripe, fish balls with roe, and corn.

Occasionally, we find ourselves grabbing one of those sad-looking Starbucks protein boxes on the go. I figured, why not make an absolutely lovely, organic, fresh, and delicious version at home. These have Hu chocolate, gouda, swiss cheese, white cheddar, jammy eggs, organic Honeycrisp apples, organic blueberries, and crunchy honey peanut butter sandwiches.

There’s a delicious galbi-jjim place in SF called Daeho Kalbijjim that we eat at and order takeout from often. It’s huge and we end up eating the saucy short ribs with cheese, rice cakes, and vegetables for days. Last Christmas, I decided to make my own homemade version and flavor it the way I like - less oily, more acidity. Yum! It was a lot of work, but better than takeout.

I made crack pie for the first time in college. I made this two Christmases ago for my fiance and his parents, along with that deep dish honey apple pie galette. It keeps really well and becomes almost pudding-like in the fridge. The homemade oat cookie crust becomes crispy and candied, while the chewy center tastes like custard and chess pie.