January 6, 2026

Masoor Dal

Posted by HI Cookery under 01 January | Tags: , , , |
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Masoor Dal

(Pakistani Lentils)

January 6: National Bean Day

We were friends with a really talented and smart guy from Pakistan from our university days some three decades ago. Highlander would play on some sports teams with Shakoor S. and Islander would be work with him on extra-curricular cultural activities. On spring break, when we all had nowhere to go one day due to a late seasonal snowstorm in the Midwest, he invited us to his little apartment when his roommate was away and cooked a nice meal for us. Islander took notes as Shakoor showed her how to make a chicken curry with basmati rice, cucumber yogurt salad and a lentil dish. 

It is Shakoor’s simple masoor dal that we have cooked for National Bean Day. Lentils are like cousins of beans in the legume family. This protein-packed side is budget-friendly for college students, makes a lot to share with friends and family and is easy to make. Masoor dal is humble as a home-cooked meal, but it is also found at the finest Indo-Pak restaurants all over the world. 

Shukriya (thank you) to Shakoor for showing us how to make masoor dal and for his Pakistani hospitality.

Recipe

(Adapted from Shakoor S.)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup lentils
  • 1 tablespoon ghee (may use oil or butter)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced (we used jarred minced garlic)
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 small tomato, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder (or to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 ½ – 3 cups water 
  • Cilantro leaves to garnish (optional), see Notes

Directions

Rinse and strain the raw lentils with water, picking out the debri, and let the water run clear. Drain and set aside. Mince the garlic, chop the onions, grate the ginger and chop the tomatoes.

In a large pot, melt the ghee or butter or heat the oil over medium high. Stir fry the cumin seeds for a minute or until fragrant. 

Saute the garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes until soft. Then sprinkle the spices—turmeric, coriander, chili, garam masala and salt. Add the lentils and mix well. 

Pour in the water, more or less depending on desired consistency (thick or soupy). Lower the heat to simmer and cover for 20 minutes. Stir on occasion to make sure the lentils do not stick to the bottom of the pot. When soft and cooked, serve the lentils with chopped cilantro leaves as a garnish.

Notes

  • Shakoor sometimes garnishes this dish with thinly sliced fried garlic cloves or crispy salad onions.
  • Search our blog for other bean recipes.

 

December 4, 2025

Neiman Marcus Cookies

Posted by HI Cookery under 12 December | Tags: , , |
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Neiman Marcus Cookies

December 4: National Cookie Day

It is very rare that we eat at fancy-shmancy places like Mariposa, an upscale café in Neiman Marcus department stores for the rich to rest after a shopping spree. Islander earned a gift card for a freelance project she did with a well-off generous friend, so we spent it at Mariposa in the Galleria mall in Houston, Texas. The other time was when Islander’s former boss treated her to an appreciation lunch at Mariposa in Ala Moana Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. 

We have heard of the urban legend associated with the cookies (debunked on Snopes.com). Yet she was excited when her boss ordered them for dessert after such a luxurious lunch. We were too full to eat all the cookies in the presentation box but her boss let her take home the rest so Highlander could taste them, too. 

The cookies are just another delicious chocolate chip version—made exotic with the story behind them and a marketing strategy genius. We made and shared them with family and friends who enjoyed the cookies as well as the legend. Box them up really pretty and give them away on National Cookie Day or as holiday treats with a tale!

Recipe
(Adapted from Neiman Marcus)

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla 
  • 1 3/4 cups flour, all purpose
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
  • 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown and white sugars, egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and beat until well blended. Sprinkle the espresso powder and continue to mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop around 2 tablespoons of dough onto a parchment paper- or greased foil-lined baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. 

Press down to flatten slightly with the base of the hand. Bake in a preheated oven at 300 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Stack between small cut squares of wax or parchment paper to prevent the chocolate chips from sticking to the other cookie. Store in airtight containers. 

Notes

  • Islander kept the black box embossed with the Neiman Marcus logo for the final food photo above. It held four cookies from the Mariposa restaurant—and the price was still probably more than enough to cover the entire ingredient list to make these cookies at home. Her other baking friend calls these Neiman MarkUP cookies! 
  • For another rich cookie inspired by a luxury brand, try our Tiffany blue macarons.

 

October 6, 2025

Tallarin Saltado

Posted by HI Cookery under 10 October | Tags: , , , , |
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Tallarin Saltado

October 6: National Noodle Day

We were part of a nine-member U.S. delegation on a goodwill trip to Peru one year to support a friend’s family foundation whose mission is to provide charitable relief to underserved and impoverished villagers. We assisted in building pre-fab homes/wooden shelters for those living in dangerous makeshift conditions, cleaned and stocked the free clinic shelves with medicine and painted the slides and swing sets at an inner city playground to make it safe for the poor children. It felt great to help those less fortunate than us!

Foundation organizers arranged our modest lodgings and made sure us volunteers could also taste authentic Peruvian food, some cooked and donated by their grateful relatives who appreciated our help and hard work. There were so many delicious dishes but one that we really liked is tallarin saltado, a beef noodle stir fry. We like it so much that we often make this for our birthday meals because the noodles symbolize long life. Tallarin saltado was influenced by the Chinese laborers who immigrated to Peru during the late 19th-early 20th centuries; this Peruvian-Chinese culinary style is called chifa. 

For a flavorful fusion food on National Noodle Day, try tallarin saltado. 

Recipe

(Adapted from Guillermo L.)

Ingredients

  • ½ pound pasta noodles (spaghetti), cooked
  • Vegetable oil
  • 1 pound beef/steak, cut into thin strips
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 red onion, sliced into wedges then slivers
  • 2 stalks green onion/scallions, green parts only, sliced into 2-inch pieces (reserve some to garnish)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
  • 1 teaspooon aji amarillo paste
  • 2 roma tomatoes, sliced into wedges
  • 1 orange or red bell pepper, de-seeded and sliced into slivers
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Chopped cilantro to garnish

Directions

Cook noodles al dente, drain and set aside. Mince the garlic, grate the ginger and slice the red and green onions, tomatoes and bell pepper.

Heat a little oil in a large skillet and sauté the beef until browned. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. In the same skillet, stir-fry the garlic, red and green onions and ginger till fragrant (about a minute). Stir in the aji Amarillo paste. Add the tomatoes and bell pepper and saute gently for another minute.

Gently stir in the noodles. Mix in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, red wine vinegar and sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dish out and garnish with chopped cilantro leaves. Serve hot.

Notes

  • We used beef steak strips, but chicken (pollo) pieces could be used in this recipe as well. Adjust the cooking time for the latter.
  • Search for more noodle recipes under the Theme Menus for Oodles of Noodles.

 

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