Madhu Knits and Cooks

Recipe, knitting, and sewing project notes

  • Mid-2026 Recipe Roundup

    A bunch of recipe reviews below – some hits and some that require another few more tries to get right.

    The hits / recipe repeats

    NY Times Thai Curry Soup

    A great recipe that I adapted in several ways without compromising on excellent flavors – a true one pot filling meal. However, for two of us, I should have halved this recipe – it was a lot of soup! I added some wheat ramen noodles to the leftovers for an even more filling meal.

    Modifications included:

    • Substituted yellow curry paste for red curry paste
    • One shallot and part of a yellow onion
    • 2 chopped roma tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes
    • I added soy sauce, herbs (cilantro and basil) into soup itself. No scallions, squeeze of lime.

    Homesick Texan’s Ranchero Beans

    Wonderfully rich flavors from the spices and tomatoes in this blended refried pinto bean recipe. My husband thought the consistency was more like a dip than side dish, so maybe I’ll serve it with shredded cheese and cilantro on top for a party? The beans could also be a good topping to nachos as well.

    • I halved the recipe and used 1/4 tsp. cumin seeds because I was out of ground cumin and 1/2 tsp. of Indian chile powder because I was afraid the beans might otherwise be too spicy
    • Used an immersion blender on the stovetop to puree the beans instead of transferring to a blender

    America’s Test Kitchen Double Chocolate Banana Bread

    A rich banana bread that even my husband – who dislikes bananas in baked goods – liked!

    • I thawed 4 frozen bananas in the fridge overnight, but it wasn’t enough for 2 cups so added another semi-ripe banana to get the right quantity
    • Substituted light brown sugar for dark
    • Added 1/2 tsp of espresso powder
    • I used one of the recipe review tips to avoid a “blowout” in the oven by making 3 small muffins to not overfill the bread tin. The tin was about 7/8 full, and baked up in 1 hr 15/20 minutes – more than the recipe called for. The muffins were baked in about 20 minutes or so.

    Feta Saag with Frozen Spinach

    I once heard Hetty McKinnon say on podcast that she uses frozen spinach in her saag curries. Since then, I have been intrigued to try frozen again after a few mishaps. I decided to use Priya Krishna’s well-spiced feta saag recipe as a base for this first re-attempt and it worked pretty well. The color was noticeably darker than when I used blanched fresh spinach, but otherwise was fine. Modifications below

    • 10oz frozen chopped spinach, which I heated up in the microwave and squeezed dry before adding to the pan
    • Used an immersion blender
    • Substituted lemon juice for lime
    • Used 4 oz. feta in brine

    Milk Street Rigatoni with Tomato, Kale, and Fontina

    I used the Milk Street Noodles cookbook, which I had checked out from the library, to prepare this savory, sweet, and flavorful dish. It calls for more specialized ingredients than I usually have on hand (lacinto kale, tomato paste, and rosemary) but it was very simple to put together while the pasta was boiling. I’d make again, even for a small dinner party.

    • Only had 4.6 tube of tomato paste
    • 6oz kale, which I supplemented with a bit more spinach
    • I couldn’t really taste the fennel and rosemary while the pasta was hot, but once the dish cooled a bit, those flavors came out in a lovely way

    Frittata for a Crowd – Base from America’s Test Kitchen

    We were hosting a brunch for 5 and I wanted to anchor the meal on a frittata. I couldn’t find the flavor combinations I wanted on some go-to recipe sites, so decided to make my own version with shallot, red bell pepper, garlic, herbed chèvre cheese, lemon zest / juice, and garlic.

    As the base for the recipe, I used America’s Test Kitchen formulation for 12 eggs. I slightly undercooked the eggs on the stovetop (should have had larger curds before putting into the oven), but that was user error on this otherwise good approach for homemade frittatas for a crowd.

    Recipes that need work – or I just won’t repeat in the future

    King Arthur Flour’s Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies

    I have had a lot of King Arthur Flour rye flour I need to use up, and tried the above linked recipe to not only make something sweet, but also hopefully something to rival the great Milk Street Rye Chocolate Chip cookies I made several years ago.

    While these cookies came out fine – not too sweet, deeper earthier flavor – I probably wouldn’t make the recipe again. The dough was a little “stodgy” or think, and the resulting cookie was also denser than I would like. I modified the recipe by using only about 1/2 as many chocolate chips, as is my preference, and I sprinkled some Maldon sea salt on top.

    Hetty McKinnon’s Hoison Garlic Noodles

    A rare, almost miss by Hetty McKinnon. Note though that I followed the #1 “most helpful” user comment by Todd to omit the additional honey / maple syrup sweetener, and instead add some Chinkiang vinegar and Shaoxing cooking wine for flavor complexity.

    While the sweet and salty flavors were fairly good, it was pretty bland and not really worth the effort.

    I used spaghetti, and served the dish with tofu and kale.

    Indian Crisped Brussels Sprouts

    I really liked the idea of this dish – a roasted and crisp vegetable, but ultimately found it pretty bland. I couldn’t find my ajwain (maybe I don’t have it anymore?) and used coriander, following my personal preference.

    NYT Creamy Miso Pasta

    Other “ok” recipe. I halved the recipe, and used linguine. In hindsight, there are some technique changes I should have made – grated the parm more finely, added into in chunks instead of all at one time, and turned off the heat as soon as the cheese went into the pot, but regardless of those changes, the miso flavor was very subtle.

    Maybe I’ll increase it by 50% next time to get a bit more “oomph.”

  • End of 2025 Recipe Roundup

    Brief summaries of some recipe attempts over the past half year:

    Chickpea Patties from the 30-Minute Mediterranean Cookbook: A random library cookbook that fit my desire for more protein-heavy lunch meals. The chickpea patties themselves were a bit dry, but pretty good otherwise. I’d make a variant of them again as they were pretty easy to put together. The recipe called for 2 tsp. of dried oregano which I thought would be too much, but it wasn’t.

    Adding to the protein was a great tzatziki I made with full fat Greek yogurt – very simple with minced garlic and grated cucumber. I also added a roasted garlic hummus to the pitas in which I put the patties and tzatziki.

    Buffalo Chickpea Wraps by the Minimalist Baker: I would definitely make this recipe again. I halved the chickpeas, and just put the chickpeas in pita with red onion, tomato, and gorgonzola (omitted the dressing and the salad). I would make again with the salad again.

    NYT Sheet Pan Tofu with Corn and Chiles: This was very good, I served it with white rice. The tofu was very spicy, and I would double the amount of tofu moving forward. My husband analogized the flavors to escabeche. One lime was not too much lime juice, and the corn slaw was very good.

    NYT Halloumi with Corn, Tomatoes, and Basil: Very good and easy summer time meal. I didn’t dry the 8oz of halloumi I prepared by accident so the halloumi didn’t brown. I substituted lemon for lime, and used slightly less basil. This was not filling alone for a meal, so more of a farmers market side.

    America’s Test Kitchen Succotash with Chickpeas and Dill: Excellent, and something I made a few times this summer. I didn’t use zucchini once, so recipe can go either way. You don’t need the full amount of lemon juice as well, though its also good when you use the full amount.

    NYT Kung Pao Cauliflower (bland, with modifications): Nicely cooked cauliflower as a result of method of high-heat, and then steaming, in a dutch oven. I didn’t use dark soy, and made slightly less sauce because had less cauliflower. No bell pepper or peanuts, which probably added to the blandness. Ginger powder instead of ginger (oops). Had to add hot sauce ultimately for flavor.

    ATK Pita Chips: Very easy, and very good, way to use up thawed frozen Trader Joe’s pitas.

    Spicy Cold Silken Tofu: Very good, but didn’t do fully cold as is my preference for cold silken tofu dishes. I forgot sesame seeds!

    Chocolate Silken Tofu Pudding: Free-styled the recipe a bit. Used a few scoops (maybe 1/4 cup) of unsweetened cocoa, vanilla, Vietnamese cinnamon, few tbsp. of maple syrup. I added a tbsp. or two of white sugar, which made it much better. This ultimately had a thinner consistency than I’d like – even after full day in fridge. Per Claude, I think I’ll try to add some almond butter in the future to get more of a pudding consistency.

    Great Stovetop Brussels Sprouts Approach: Made this a few times thus far, including with chile powder and kosher salt one and other time with dijon mustard and butter. Great, quick way to make a tasty vegetable.

    To Asia, With Love Brussels Sprouts with Silken Tofu: Very good, with rich Thai-like flavors from the Thai sweet soy and dark soy sauces. I served this more lukewarm than hot. Very good with rice. Pretty saucy preparation, so likely can add more tofu.

  • Recipe Review Roundup – Lose Most, Win Some (Onion Frittata with Sherry Vinegar, Easy Pancakes)

    Welcome to the first post of the slimmed down Madhu Knits and Cooks – my recipe notes targeted to an audience of one, me.  Most of these recipe attempts resulted in fine-but-not-repeatable-dishes, but one was a true standout that I look forward to making again.

    Sichuan Broccoli 

    This isn't so much a recipe review, as a "I should follow the recipe more closely" note.  I improvised the seasonings a bit, though followed the cooking technique.  I should try to make again, the next time actually following the recipe proportions (my attempt seemed heavy on the rice vinegar flavor) and by toasting and finely grinding the Sichuan peppercorns beforehand instead of just mashing them to throw on top of the final dish (too grainy a preparation).

    Lentil and Asparagus Soup 

    Also a bit of an odd one – I substituted caviar lentils for the barley, resulting in a black soup.  The lemon flavor was pretty good, and it was a nice light soup, but the color and blandness overall means I probably won't make again even if I make it properly with barley for the lentils.

    Garbanzo and Spinach Stew

    Another bland soup.  I substituted smoked paprika for the pimenton, and made this more into a soup than a stew with more water (4 cups?).  I used fresh spinach instead of frozen, and threw the julienned pieces at the end of the cooking.  I used black garbanzos (approx. 3 cups cooked, 1 cup dry which I pre-cooked).

    Spring Minestrone

    Another bland soup.  Pesto or another strong herb bomb would have helped (I omitted).  

    Cabbage, Tofu, and Red Pepper

    Pretty good dish – strong flavors, and great textures from the bell pepper and cabbage, neither of which was overcooked and retained their natural flavors.

    I used some Trader Joe's high-protein tofu, which I seared pretty quickly without cornstarch.  I used 2 tbsp. water instead of broth, omitted the walnuts, and just put sesame oil at the end because I forgot during the cooking period.

    Excellent Onion Frittata with Sherry Vinegar Sauce

    The winner of the bunch – a tangy, relatively easy frittata.  Perfect for a brunch for 4 people, otherwise 2 meals for me and my husband.  I'd pair this with a salad.  I used dijon instead of whole grain mustard, which added more tanginess but still resulted in a great sauce.  I'd probably reduce the sauce ingredients by half because you don't need that much for serving.

    Easy Pancakes – Weekend Winner

    For some reason, I can't find my past pancake posts so ended up searching for a new simple recipe.  Enter America's Test Kitchen Easy Pancakes, which yes, were both very easy to make and delicious to consume.  Fluffy with a lightly sweet flavor, I will probably make these frequently on weekends.  I halved the recipe, which made the recipe appropriate for 2 adults and a toddler.

  • After 18 years, some big changes!

    Readers – I started this blog in the summer of 2006, more than 18 years ago.  I've been recently thinking about how I spend my time and I've decided to pare down some of my hobbies and obligations.  While this blog doesn't take up too much of my time, this project was sadly a part of that decision to do less.  It's just time and I am thankful I have other outlets for writing and creativity.  

    So moving forward, a few changes will happen:

    • I will only be posting simple recipe notes or new recipe directions, narrative introductions or commentary will largely be eliminated.
    • I will only be posting my knitting projects on Ravelry, under the user name Madhuri
    • I will probably be posting sewing project notes
    • I will be migrating this blog at some point to another platform

    Some may ask, why keep this blog at all?  The answer is what has propelled me to keep this blog going over the years – I actually use it!  This is where I store all of my recipe notes, what I should try again or avoid in the future, and where I refer people for my favorites.  So I will reduce my effort into this blog to meet that utility.  

    Hope you have enjoyed reading my posts in the past, and look forward to this new part of the Madhu Knits and Cooks journey!

  • Pureed White Bean and Tomato Soup – Luscious and Creamy

    As I've been working my way through my Rancho Gordo dried bean stash, I've finally had to confront the beans that…I don't like that much.  I know, I know – who doesn't love every single costly Rancho Gordo artisanal bean that one covets for months before finally convincing yourself the price is "worth it"?  

    Now that we're (hopefully) past the judgment reaction, we can get to the topic of today's post – Rancho Gordo's Creamy Lima Bean, Tomato, and Feta Soup.  This soup not only used up the giant lima beans that have been hardening in my cupboard, but also produced a fantastic one-post dinner as well.  

    White Bean Tomato Soup

    I precooked 1/2 cup of dried lima beans in the Instant Pot (soaked overnight, 25 minutes high pressure with a natural release – in the future, I may increase to 30 minutes of cooking time) a day or two ahead of time, which made the soup prep just 25 minutes.  

    The result was comforting, rich, salty, slightly briny, and coated your mouth with a pleasing fulsome texture.  I could have sworn this was a heavy cream-based soup, which is a wonderful mental trick from pureed white beans.  I will keep this idea handy for thickening future soups with a healthier protein than dairy.

    Some modifications I made – I used traditional feta instead of Valbreso and 1/2 of a 140z can of crushed tomatoes.  I think you can experiment with cheese types here as well – other salty or flavored cheeses will probably add their own special imprint to this soup, even a sharp cheddar or herb-inflected cheese.

  • A (Humid, Summer) Return to Bread Baking! Pumpernickel Everything Bread

    My baking block continues to gradually lift as the months go by.  I'm not sure if it's inertia, boredom, or in this case, guilt from letting my various specialty flours languish, but I've been very happy to slowly return to the scale and the oven.  

    My latest recipe attempt finally put to use the pumpernickel flour I had ordered from King Arthur Flour I purchased many moons ago and drove from NYC to New Orleans as a "critical" move item.  I chose KAF's everything bagel pumpernickel bread recipe because of how much I miss pumpernickel bagels (not as common in New Orleans!).  

    Pumpernickel Bread Side Baked

    This ended up being a pretty easy and quick recipe, with start to finish in only a few hours.  I would make this recipe again because the flavor was salty and very reminiscent of everything bagels, though I did not love the stodgier texture.  
     
    The bread was probably underbaked because the interior was fairly thick and squishy, with very little bounce back from pressing.  I also may have messed up the texture by adding slightly too much water and not checking the bread for the proper final rise before baking. 
     
    The bread's temperature was over 200 degrees from the instant read thermometer after about 39 minutes of baking.  I did not get a huge amount of rye/pumpernickel flavor which was disappointing.  
     
    Pumpernickel Bread - Straight
     
    I wonder if the humidity and heat of the New Orleans summer also affected the rise and cooling of the bread.  The crust on top was relatively crisp, but the bottom was still sweating a bit and somewhat moist after being fully cooled.  So might be underbaking, humidity, and/or the rye flour which would naturally result in a heavier bread?  I will try this bread again during a cooler day, and see if it makes a difference.

  • Large-ish Neutral Newborn Hospital Hat

    I've had pretty bad luck knitting newborn and infant hats.  They are often way too large, but sometimes they can almost fit correctly, giving me hope that maybe I can master newborn hat sizes.  

    Unfortunately my latest project fits into the former category instead of the latter.  This simple newborn hat, which I whipped up in a few days, was too big despite facially meeting several newborn fit guides online. 

    Kavi Newborn Hat

    Granted, I delivered a small baby but I was pretty sad that I had to put him in the standard hospital-issue hat instead of a homemade one. 

    C'est la vie.  I will likely use this hat in winter instead, unless he outgrows it by then.  I can also see myself making more in the future with leftover yarn scraps given how fast this knits up and how cute the pattern is.

    Neutral Newborn Hospital Hat

    Pattern: Baby Business Set Hat, Size <0

    Yarn: Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo DK, approx. 0.2 skein in color 131 cream

    Needles: US size 5, 22 inches = 4 inch gauge swatch in stockinette stitch

    Measurements: post-blocking measurements of 5 inches tall by 5.5 inches wide at the bottom / widest part of hat

  • Excellent Vegan Red Beans and Rice

    While this NYT Cooking recipe no doubt counts as sacrilege in my current city of residence, it does produce an excellent vegan red beans and rice.  Full of umami flavor, I've made this recipe 2-3 times already and plan on making it again this week.  I don't know if there could be a bigger endorsement of a recipe than this frequency of production – especially after what appears to be a decade-long hiatus from making vegetarian red beans and rice.

    Vegan Red Beans and Rice

    I've halved the recipe each time I've made it, and omitted the dried sage as I don't have it my kitchen.  I've used dried thyme instead of fresh, and halved the recommended smoked paprika per some of the reader comments. Also per the reader comments, I've added some shakes of gumbo filé at the end of the cooking process (one can't live in Louisiana without some filé in your cupboard!).

    I've found that 55 minutes is the optimal pressure cook time for my Instant Pot and Camellia red beans.  I do find that cooking the red beans for a few more minutes on saute is great to get the creamy bean texture that is a hallmark of red beans and rice.  

    The recipe uses soy sauce and miso (I know, I know New Orleanians), but the complexity those ingredients add to the final flavors can't be understated.  Salty and savory, this is a great recipe!

  • “Healthy” Banana Bread – probably not a recipe repeat but good in a pinch!

    Another post where the title says it all!  I tried this "Healthy Banana Bread" recipe after searching for ways to use up the two blackened bananas on my countertop, without having to buy more ingredients.

    Healthy Banana Bread

    The result was "fine" – pretty moist but with a relatively bland flavor. I will stick to more banana-rich/heavy preparations moving forward.

    My recipe modifications:

    • Slightly more almond milk (7-10 extra grams)
    • Added chocolate chips
    • Had to bake for additional time (approx. 63 min in total)
    • Forget to pre-mash the 2 bananas before adding them to the other ingredients, so had to do in in the bowl (did not measure the amount of banana that resulted from the 2 ripe bananas)
    • all-purpose flour and honey for the flour and sweetener, respectively

  • Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi – Something New for a Small Dinner Party

    I'm not sure how I stumbled on this spinach and ricotta gnudi recipe – the internet, TV, or perhaps a newsletter?  I certainly wasn't looking for a gnudi recipe, or anything in its general food family.  But once I saw a picture of the finished meal, I was captivated with making it.  

    It took a few months for me to finally make the recipe, but thankfully it was pretty easy to follow and resulted in a tasty gnudi.  Creamy from the ricotta, slightly bitter from the spinach, and tart from the tomato / vinegar sauce.  

    Spinach Ricotta Gnudi Served

    I think this could be a pretty impressive smaller main course for a dinner party.  I would serve with multiple other courses or accompaniments though because after several bites, the gnudi flavors do feel a bit one note and the boiled ball consistency gets a bit old (we ate the leftovers over a few meals). 

    An alternative approach I may try is to roll the balls in panko and quickly pan fry them to give a bit more texture to the dish?  Also, making the balls smaller than one inch may help, and allow the chunky fresh tomato sauce to better coat them.  I think adding another herb besides basil to the final dish might also help make this more of an interesting main course.  

    So a very good, but not outstanding new recipe attempt!