Sweet & Salty Chinese 5 Spice Popcorn

It rained on Saturday. The drops fell hard and heavy from the sky for nearly 2 hours straight at our house. The air became cool and comfortable and the soothing sound of rain steadily hitting the ground resonated through the open windows. It was bliss. A couple years ago, afternoons like this would have resulted in a movie marathon of some kind. Brad and I would laze on the couch with nothing to do but relax, eat popcorn, and totally space out for a while. These days, between Brad's full work schedule and our busy toddler running around, it's not that easy to have an impromptu movie date.

Chinese 5 Spice Popcorn

Still, there is an occasional evening when we aren't too tired to make it through a movie and a big bowl of popcorn. It may not be on a whim like it used to be, but these little date nights are still really fun, even if Brad falls asleep halfway through the movie (which he almost always does).

I've been curious to try some more exciting and different popcorn flavors on the nights when I'm ambitious enough to make it on the stove-top. No, popping it in a pan on the stove is not all that complicated, but sometimes I can only muster enough motivation to push a button and watch the paper bag puff and jump as the kernels pop. Over the weekend, I decided to try adding Chinese 5 Spice Powder to my popcorn. If you've never had 5 Spice Powder I highly recommend that you give it a try. The combination of flavors (anise, fennel seed, cinnamon, cloves, Szechuan pepper, white pepper) is versatile and fun to experiment with.

I added a little sugar to the mix as well, creating a lovely sweet and salty flavor that is perfectly paired with light, airy popcorn. For some nuttiness, I also added a little sesame oil in addition to vegetable oil. Delicious!

If you can, curl up on the couch with a bowl of this popcorn. Best enjoyed with your favorite people and a good film.

Sweet & Salty Chinese 5 Spice Popcorn

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon Chinese 5 Spice Powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. In a large, heavy pot with a lid, add the vegetable oil, sesame oil, sugar, Chinese 5 Spice Powder and salt.
2. Add 2 or 3 popcorn kernels and place over medium-high heat. When the kernels pop, add the remaining kernels to the pot.
3. Cover with the lid and, using oven mits or tongs to hold onto the pot so you don't burn your hands, shake the pot over the flame until the popcorn begins to pop.
4. When the popping slows (2 to 3 seconds between popping) remove the pot from the heat and transfer the popcorn to a large bowl. Serve immediately.

Campari-Basil Mojito

When I was a kid, my family would go camping on Lake Superior near Split Rock Lighthouse at the beginning of July. It was so much fun. My mom would make the most elaborate camping meals: lasagna, cheesecake, spaghetti & meatballs- we were quite spoiled. We would sit around the campfire, the four of us, enjoying the quiet mystery of the trees and the quirky yet comforting smell of smoke and bug spray. (There were lots of black flies and the Minnesota State Bird, mosquitoes, buzzing around at all hours so bug spray was a must!)

Sometimes, we would time the trip so that we could drive into Duluth to see the fireworks on the 4th of July. Surprisingly, I don't remember much about the fireworks, but I remember the long line of cars we would sit in as we crawled out of the parking lot at a glacial pace. My sister and I would usually fall asleep in the backseat before we even made it to the main road.

When we lived in Japan, we always got our fireworks fix at the Obon Matsuri (read more about festivals in Japan here). The festivals were amazing with delicious food but the fireworks were spectacular. Like nothing I've ever seen. Here are a few photos of our last Obon festival:

Obon-Hanabi

Hanabi-in-Tokyo

Yukata-for-Obon-Matsuri

This year, we will be here in Denver and will stay close to home, grilling hamburgers and drinking cocktails in the backyard with our family. I'm not sure if fireworks will be a part of the festivities or not, but I do know this cocktail will be.

And before you say anything, I know. It isn't Friday. Today is Wednesday. I hope I didn't cause anyone to think they missed the 4th of July or somehow, magically, made it to Friday without even noticing the days prior. Since many of you will be taking a vacation day on Friday and will likely be celebrating Independence Day if you're here in the U.S. or just celebrating one of the first, true summer weekends elsewhere, I thought it would be appropriate to give you this cocktail recipe a little early.

Campari Cocktail Ideas

I found a recipe for a Campari mojito on Campari's website. Then I got to thinking about what an insane amount of basil I already have so early in the summer, wondering if that would suffice in place of the mint. To make a long story short, I'll make it with basil rather than mint every single time. The sweet, licorice flavor of the basil works beautifully with the bitter Campari. It also make a visually stunning cocktail perfect for serving at your 4th of July celebration. There's even a little red, white and blue happening here with my glass. SCORE.

What are you up to for this holiday week? Any fabulous fireworks displays I need to hear about?

Campari Cocktail Recipe

Campari-Basil Mojito

Ingredients

• 2 oz Campari
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 oz lime juice
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, loosely packed
• Basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

1. In the bottom of a cocktail shaker or glass, add the brown sugar, lime juice and 1/4 cup basil leaves. Muddle together with a muddler or a spoon until the sugar has mostly dissolved into the lime juice and there is a nice basil scent released from the leaves.
2. Add the Campari and stir well to combine.
3. Fill a Collins glass or other glass with crushed ice.
4. Pour the Campari-basil mixture over the ice and top with a splash of sparkling water. Serve with basil leaves for garnish.

Cocktail Friday: DIY Washi Wine Labels

I have always always loved throwing parties. When I was a kid, I would page through my mom's Southern Living Christmas books just dying to try homemade chocolate truffles and to decorate the mantle with big, extravagant flower arrangements. When I was a freshman in high school, I decided actually attempted one of these crazy, homemade parties. There was an insane amount of food- too much for the number of people I invited. I made chocolate truffles by hand, paper garlands with gold painted leaves that I drew and cut out myself, and bite sized appetizers all made from scratch.

Unfortunately, that night I learned the true meaning of the word awkward when only 4 people showed up, barely ate a thing, and played ping pong the entire night because that's what normal 15 year olds do. It was a learning experience- one of many that I’ve had over years, although this one seems to stand out more than most.

DIY Washi Labels

I'm not sure if it was my humiliating experience or the fact that I'm turning 30 tomorrow (egads!), that makes me want to find simpler ways of entertaining. Simpler doesn't have to mean boring, though! I have been wanting to try some different DIY projects involving washi tape recently and this one sort of happened by accident. I was trying to think of the best way to label glasses for guests at my 30th birthday party and thought this would be fun and festive. And most importantly, SIMPLE.

Wine Glass Name Tags

Here is what I did: Cut 2-3 inch long pieces of washi tape Carefully press them onto the glasses Using a Sharpie, write guests names on the glasses OR leave the Sharpie out so that guests can write their own names on the glasses When you are finished, the washi tape will come right off without leaving any sticky residue

That's all there is to it! Much easier than drawing and cutting out leaves, painting them in gold pain, and gluing them together in a long garland, don’t you think?

Now, any advice for 30 year olds?

Cocktail Friday: Thai Iced Coffee

I'm not sure why, but Thailand has been on my mind a lot lately. I thought posting the Sweet & Spicy Thai Pineapple Cocktail would be enough to get it out of my system but I was wrong. Some places just stick with you I guess. Like sweetened condensed milk to a spoon. Get it?

When we arrived in Bangkok, I remember being totally shocked at the overwhelming heat and humidity. This combined with a little dose of jet lag made me ache for coffee. Of course, I couldn't stand the thought of hot coffee since I felt like I was melting right there on the pavement in the middle of Bangkok. It wasn't until the morning after we arrived that I was finally able to indulge in a big, cold glass of iced coffee. At the time, I knew nothing about Thai or Vietnamese-style iced coffee so I was surprised when I saw sweetened condensed milk going into my glass. Honestly, I was pretty disappointed and sure that I would hate it. I'm usually a straight up coffee with milk kind of gal. No sugar in my coffee thankyouverymuch.

I was pleasantly surprised when I took the first sip. The sweetened condensed milk actually had a nice, gentle sweetness that tasted different than adding regular sugar. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but the flavor of strong coffee at that moment was the most perfect combination. The only other time I remember being so happy to have a cup of coffee in my hands was in Argentina when I first tried café con crema. It was dreamy. But I'll save that story for another day.

Sweetened condensed milk always makes me think of Thailand because there were cans stacked at many of the food carts. My guess is because it comes in a can, giving it the ability to withstand the heat without spoiling, it just makes more sense than regular milk. Whatever the reason, I'm glad they made the connection. This drink is the perfect way to welcome the first official day of summer (TODAY!) while reading a good book in the shade. As you can tell by my photos, it's already hot here in Denver. Hello, condensation!

You can make this a cocktail by adding a shot of vodka. Vanilla vodka would also be tasty if you have more of a sweet tooth, but I like to keep it simple with straight up vodka. And you can of course keep this virgin by not adding any alcohol. Versatile and delicious!

Thai Iced Coffee

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup very strong coffee
• 1-2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
• 2 oz vodka (optional)

Instructions

1. In a glass (not the one you will be drinking out of) combine the sweetened condensed milk with the coffee and vodka (if using). Stir until the milk is completely incorporated into the coffee. Fill your serving glass with crushed ice and add your coffee. Garnish with a cocktail umbrella (you'll be happy you did- they are just so fun, especially on Fridays) and enjoy!

Melon + Prosciutto Flatbread with Arugula + Goat Cheese

Riley has started this funny habit of running around the dining room table over and over again. He doesn't make any noises like you might expect a toddler to do while going in circles. Instead, there is only the sound of his little feet hitting the wood floor with a soft, muted sound that I hope never escapes my memory when he is six feet tall and no longer my little baby. I fear that day will come much faster than I'm prepared for, so I'm trying to soak up every goofy, sweet little moment I get with him.

Flatbread dough

Here's the thing: watching Riley run around in circles is adorable. Watching me run around in circles is not. When we have little gatherings at our house, I sometimes feel like all I'm doing is running around like crazy trying to make sure food is ready, drinks are poured, etc. In order to minimize the craziness, I've been trying to find things that I can serve to guests that aren't terribly time consuming but is still beautiful and full of flavor. This flatbread with prosciutto, melon, arugula and goat cheese is one examle of how something simple and classic can be stunning and party-worthy.

Melon, Prosciutto, Arugula

The classic combination of melon and prosciutto is perfect for this time of year. It is light, sweet and salty, with a beautiful, summery appearance that dresses up any party spread. Transferring these flavors to flatbread, which is perfect for eating with cocktails, becomes even better with some peppery arugula and tangy goat cheese.

Full disclosure: I usually use store-bought pizza dough rather than making my own. A lot of grocery stores are selling pizza dough that is ready to pop in the oven with whatever toppings you like. They taste great and save quite a bit of time and stress, especially if you are entertaining. If you are extra ambitious, go ahead and make your own pizza dough. I'm always up for going 100% homemade. Well, almost always.

Healthy dose of olive oil

The dough is drizzled with a healthy amount of olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. When it comes out of the oven, it has a light golden color with the perfect chewy-crunchy texture. Then, the melon, prosciutto, arugula and goat cheese are arranged on top with a little bit of freshly ground black pepper and one last light drizzle of olive oil to add a nice sheen.

Melon and Prosciutto Flatbread

And that's that! You're all set to serve this up to your guests with a lovely glass of prosecco. No need to run around in circles.

Melon + Prosciutto Flatbread with Arugula + Goat Cheese

• Pizza dough, store bought or homemade
• 2-3 tablespoons good olive oil
• sea salt or course salt
• Cornmeal for dusting
• 1 cup fresh cantaloupe, peeled, sliced and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup loosely packed arugula leaves
• 4 oz goat cheese
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll or pat the dough out to fit a medium/large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the baking sheet with a thin, even layer of cornmeal to keep the crust crispy and to keep it from sticking. Transfer the dough to your baking sheet and poke some holes in the dough with a fork to keep it from bubbling up too much during baking.
3. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt, and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for a couple minutes.
4. Arrange the melon, arugula, prosciutto and goat cheese on top of the crust. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil. Cut and serve.

Homemade Furikake

I’m a condiment person. Dips, salsas, sauces...you name it, I probably love it. When I was a kid, it was not difficult to find me at parties because I was most likely lurking near the chips and dip. OK, let’s be honest...that’s usually where you’ll find me as a grown-up, too. Chips and fries are just vehicles for salsa and ketchup, right?

When we lived in Japan, I got hooked on furikake, a combination of sesame seeds, nori, and other seasonings that is sprinkled on rice and other foods for added flavor. For the first 3 years of life in Tokyo, I used furikake liberally. Then, I got pregnant with Riley and like many first-time mothers I obsessively read every ingredient label on everything I put into my body. When I saw MSG as one of the main ingredients in furikake, it immediately exited my list of pregnancy-friendly foods.

Recipe for Homemade Furikake

This was difficult. Mostly because I was craving Japanese sticky rice like no one’s business and all I wanted to do was put some salty, crunchy, umami-flavored furikake on top. The thought of making my own crossed my mind, but I was pretty busy growing a human being and didn’t have the energy to think about making something that I was sure would be equally as difficult. I had visions in my mind of drying salmon skin in the oven and other “complicated” steps that must go into making such a flavorful mixture. Turns out, furikake is not at all difficult to make.

Homemade Furikake

Here’s the basic recipe that I’ve found to work quite well (no MSG included). If you’re not a fan of fish flakes, you can omit them, although I highly recommend you at least try it with the flakes before tossing them out the window. They add such a lovely, smokey note that can only be found in these immensely flavorful flakes can lend. Once you have the basic recipe down, experiment with other flavor combinations. I’m working on a wasabi version right now, but you can do almost anything from classic sesame to matcha (think of a dish with a flavor profile like toasted rice in matcha broth) to a simple sesame salt, or gomashio.

Homemade Furikake Recipe

I love using furikake on popcorn, hard boiled eggs, in salads, and of course sprinkled over steaming hot rice. You could even keep a little ziploc bag of the stuff in your office drawer to spice up some noodles or other bland workday lunch that needs a pick-me-up.

No MSG. No hard work. Big rewards. Can’t get much better than that, can it?

Homemade Furikake

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup nori sheets, broken up into small pieces
• 1/2 cup white or black sesame seeds
• 1 cup loosely packed bonito flakes (fish flakes), broken up into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon mirin
• 2 or 3 drops toasted sesame oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, combine the sesame seeds and bonito flakes.
3. Add the soy sauce and mirin and stir to evenly coat the sesame seed mixture. Add the nori and stir to combine.
4. Spread the mixture in and even layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the mixture is dry and slightly toasted. Keep an eye on it while it cooks to make sure it doesn’t burn.
6. Let the furikake cool for about 2 hours before transferring to an air-tight container.
7. Store at room temperature for up to 2-3 weeks. (If it lasts that long.)