Blog - Kitchen Confidante®

Laughing Doughnuts (Sesame Smiling Cookie Balls)

Laughing Doughnuts are also known as Chinese Sesame Smiling Cookie Balls, and popular throughout Asia, especially during Lunar New Year because of the signature crack that resembles a smiling mouth! Their crispy sesame cookie exterior yields a lightly sweet cake-like interior, making it an irresistible snack.

10 Most Popular Recipes of 2022

I’m sharing the most popular recipes on Kitchen Confidante in 2022: the top five recipes published this year AND the top five recipes of all time. Find your new favorite recipe today!

Traditional Italian Gelato with California Ingredients with Patrizia Pasqualetti

In Episode 62 of the Kitchen Confidante Podcast, Liren Baker talks with sisters Patrizia and Graziella Pasqualetti about family’s renowned Gelateria Pasqualetti in Orvieto, Italy, how Patrizia brought this passion and gelato expertise to California, her partnership with Eataly, and more!

Five Little Things

Five Little Things I loved the week of December 23, 2022: cranberry desserts, beach art, wrapping in style, and more!

Kale Tabbouleh with Apples, Almonds, and Pomegranate

Kale Tabbouleh – This hearty salad takes inspiration from a classic tabbouleh, replacing the bulgur with finely chopped almonds. This recipe comes from The Apricot Lane Farms Cookbook by Molly Chester and is a delicious salad or side dish for autumn, winter, and the holidays!

Eggnog Milk Tea Boba

Eggnog Milk Tea Boba – an eggnog tea with a bubble tea twist! Learn how to make a boba milk tea that is holiday ready!

Apricot Lane Farms with Molly Chester

In Episode 61 of the Kitchen Confidante Podcast, Liren Baker talks with Molly Chester about how human gut health and soil health are interconnected, the importance of biodiversity on the farm, and how her farm comes to life in The Apricot Lane Farms Cookbook.

Cranberry Trifle

Cranberry Trifle – layered with cranberry sauce, sponge cake, and a homemade custard, this Christmas trifle may look impressive but made with simple store-bought ingredients. Perfect for serving a crowd!

Ziti Alla Genovese in white bowl with a glass of wine

Ziti Alla Genovese – Pasta with Stewed Beef

Ziti Alla Genovese – This classic pasta from Naples is braised for hours in a creamy onion sauce with stewed meat. This recipe is perfect for a traditional Italian Sunday lunch from Pasta Grannies: Comfort Cooking by Vicky Bennison.

Comfort Cooking with Pasta Grannies

In Episode 60 of the Kitchen Confidante Podcast, Liren Baker talks with Vicky Bennison about her latest cookbook, Pasta Grannies: Comfort Cooking, the nonnas and the traditional regional dishes they share, their secrets to staying young and active, and what the next generation of pasta makers in Italy will look like.