This starts out being made like risotto but ends up like regular rice: I sauté onions and garlic in oil, toast the rice, and then add the hot cooking liquid – all of it at once – and then I cover the pot and leave it alone over low heat. And yes, I’ve tried making this without heating up the cooking liquid before adding it to the rice, but it ends up taking more time to cook and the rice comes out more separate.

Yeah, it’s a little more laborious than plain rice, but not that much more so if you do some prep in advance. Besides, it’s way better than plain rice and therefore totally worth the extra effort.

I’m leaving for a 10-day vacation to the UK on Thursday, so I’m in the process of clearing out my fridge. Which means that my dinners have consisted of random food items that I have unearthed from my pantry and fridge (nachos, pita chips, and pizza bagels, anyone?). I don’t have the audacity to pretend like any of those things are worthy of this space, so I'm putting up a few things that I made a while back but never got around to posting. 

This one is for my friend Meg - I made this for her one afternoon when we were having a marathon viewing session of The Wire. It’s incredibly easy to make and is way better than cold takeout sesame noodles.

Ginger-Soy Noodles with Tofu and Red Peppers
(serves 2)

7-8 oz. firm tofu
2 tablespoons ginger-soy sauce (I really like Whole Foods’ 365 Organic brand)

4 oz lo mein noodles or thin spaghetti

1/3 cup water
1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter (I prefer chunky or natural for their texture)
3 tablespoons ginger-soy sauce
¼ - ½ teaspoon sriracha sauce (depending on how spicy you like your food)

½ large red pepper (cut in half lengthwise)
2-3 large scallions
1 small or ½ large cucumber

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (optional)

Cut the tofu into approximately ¾” cubes. Toss with 2 tablespoons of sauce and microwave on high power for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, cut the pepper half into ¼” by 1 ½” strips, chop the scallion, and peel, seed, and chop the cucumber into ½” chunks.

Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and run under cold running water, then return them to the pot.

Add the tofu to the noodles in the pot. In the bowl in which you cooked the tofu, add the water and peanut butter, stir to combine, and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Stir well, then add the ginger-soy and sriracha sauces. Add the sauce and sliced vegetables to the pot, and toss well to combine.

Top with cilantro and serve warm or at room temperature.

Simply put, I adore Mexican food. Sadly, though, there are few good Mexican joints in Baltimore. In fact, I’ve only had Mexican once in the 15 months I've lived in this city. Sad, indeed.

Back in NYC, there are tons of great Mexican places, and a few that my mom – a fellow Mexican food aficionado – and I particularly loved: