Citrus Shrimp, Rice, and Black Bean Salad

I had lunch at Asia de Cuba for lunch (a great deal during restaurant week: $25 for a ton a food) and had a delicious braised short ribs with a black bean rice pilaf. the rice dish was great, spicy, sweet/sour. the short ribs weren't too greasey or fatty but meltingly tender.

i loved the rice pilaf the dish came with and thought it'd be an easy and versatile recipe to experiment with and this is the outcome. I used some long grain brown rice i've had since god knows when to make this simple, refreshing shrimp salad from Epicurious. Instead of the orange juice called for (i didn't have any) i used some mirin and fish sauce to give it an Asian spin. Instead of red peppers, I used 310 shishito peppers so this was a decidedly spicy salad. wasn't exactly what i was looking for (more of a "salad" than a rice accompaniment) but a nice light meal nonetheless.

Honey Castella

I’ve always been on an enthusiastic quest for recreating desserts from the Korean bakeries I frequented as a kid in Seoul. From anko-pang to soboro, being able to make these treats that are a staple in asian bakeries at home is especially comforting and exciting when it’s a success.
That’s why I was thrilled with this Honey Castella recipe from Pichet Ong's "The Sweet Spot." It definitely goes down as a favorite. For whatever reason, these “traditional” western-style asian desserts tend to be on the drier, less sweet side, which may be why this cake really appeals. Its dry spongy texture and subtle honeyed flavor really took me back….

I used this loaf pan instead of the cake pan called for in the recipe (since that's how it's done in Korea). The pan which I got from IKEA turned about to be perfect for half the recipe.

Brioche Nectarine Tart

This is my first attempt using a brioche dough for a not-too-sweet, but absolutely tempting and scrumptious tart. I used Dorie Greenspan's recipe but used ripe-firm nectarines instead of the Italian plums called for. I wasn't sure about whether the brioche was made correctly (it always seem to be a crap shoot when it comes to me and yeasted doughs) as it didn't seem to rise as much/easily as the recipe indicated. but i followed the direction anyway (with an overnight rest in the refrig) and it came out looking like this...

Couldn't be happier. Did overbake it slightly (probably would use a lower than 425 oven next time) so the bottom crust was a overly browned and a little hard. Otherwise, i'm looking forward to using this recipe with a variety of summer/fall fruits.