Author: A. J. Forget

Tex-Mex Risotto

Tex-Mex Risotto

This recipe came to me after I fell into an obsession with arroz con leche. Arroz con leche is, essentially, Mexican rice pudding. There are some variants where it is made with sweetened condensed milk, but I prefer the simpler and less sweet version of 

Salsa Blanca

Salsa Blanca

This sauce might strike some of you as a bit strange. In fact, it will likely strike almost all of you as a bit strange. When I first discovered what was actually in it, even I, a lifelong consumer of this sauce, found it quite 

How To Bake Without An Oven (plus a stovetop pizza recipe)

How To Bake Without An Oven (plus a stovetop pizza recipe)

When we were planning our build, for whatever reason, we could not find any good information about ovens for vans or RVs. We found a few vanlife articles, but in every case, the person was installing a propane-fired oven that was explicitly intended only for outdoor use. The installations involved tons of work, tons of space, and still didn’t seem particularly safe to us. So we opted for a 3-burner propane cooktop, and I vowed to learn to bake on the stove. Continue reading How To Bake Without An Oven (plus a stovetop pizza recipe)

Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl

Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl

Poke (pronounced poh-kay) literally means to slice crosswise into pieces. Effectively, to cube. And its origins are every bit as humble as that name implies (at least compared to the profusion of variations now available). The first poke was eaten simply as a means of 

Loco Moco

Loco Moco

Loco Moco is comfort food at its absolute finest. A hamburger patty on a bed of rice, smothered in gravy, and topped with a fried egg. For me it screams hangover food (which I think other people call brunch), but it makes a dang good 

The Plate Lunch (Huli Huli Chicken and Mac Salad)

The Plate Lunch (Huli Huli Chicken and Mac Salad)

The plate lunch is as Hawaiian as it gets. You can find them all over the place, and they always have the same formula: a meat, two scoops of rice, and one scoop of macaroni salad. Common meats include Hawaiian favorites like kalua pork, huli huli chicken, and teriyaki chicken or beef. A plate with more than one meat is typically called a mixed plate, and for me there are few better meals out there. Continue reading The Plate Lunch (Huli Huli Chicken and Mac Salad)

Spam Musubi

Spam Musubi

Spam Musubi is one of those dishes that could only come about in Hawaii. It stands as an example of exactly what is so interesting, comforting, and delicious about Hawaiian food. In Hawaii, spam is a highly regarded food. Oahu is home to that famous 

How to: Cook Perfect Rice Every Time

How to: Cook Perfect Rice Every Time

There was a long period of my life where I was afraid to delve into Asian cuisines. It was not the strange ingredients or new flavors, no–it was simple ineptitude at cooking rice that kept me from exploring these amazing foods. Whenever I tried to 

Vietnamese Pesto with Claypot Pork

Vietnamese Pesto with Claypot Pork

This is a dish that might fall into what we would call “fusion cuisine.” I’ve never particularly like that moniker. Everything we eat nowadays is fusion of some kind. Pizza is fusion. Empanadas are fusion. Most modern dishes involve techniques and ingredients that originated in different cultures, so it seems a little silly to call any particular food fusion. That said, if I’ve ever produced anything that could be called “fusion,” this is definitely it. The ingredients and flavors are definitely Vietnamese, but the styling is western. Continue reading Vietnamese Pesto with Claypot Pork

Chè Chuối – Banana Sweet Soup

Chè Chuối – Banana Sweet Soup

This sweet soup is a delicious vegan pudding made with coconut milk, tapioca pearls, and ripe bananas. With only 2 tablespoons of added sugar, it is also an amazing, healthy dessert.⁠