Jessica's Dinner Party

by jessica yoon

Blog

Mushroom Rice in a Rice Cooker

Mushroom Rice in a Rice Cooker

During the holidays last year, my husband and I hosted a big sit-down dinner party for his side of the family. We cooked a massive 15lb pot roast, made several different sides (including this hand salad), and ended with lots of sweet nibbles and a layered red-wine cake. But out of everything that we made, this simple mushroom rice was hands-down the favorite dish of the night. It was such a hit that we ran out mid-dinner, and one of my husband’s brothers texted me a few days later asking for the recipe.

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Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Whipped Mascarpone Cream

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Whipped Mascarpone Cream

Like so many people in the US, pumpkin spice sparks an inexplicable amount of joy in me. More than anything, it’s because pumpkin spice signals the start of fall and the holiday season–which is my favorite time of the year. Strangely though, despite the millions of pumpkin spice products out there, it’s actually hard to find something that’s good, let alone delicious. So instead of hunting down something that may or may not exist, I decided to create my own pumpkin dessert that I wish existed out there in the marketplace.

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Blueberry Oatmeal Smoothie with Spinach

Blueberry Oatmeal Smoothies with Spinach

In an attempt to eat more fruits and veggies, I’ve been meal prepping smoothies to stash in the freezer. The original intention was to have them up for breakfast, but my husband and I have found that we actually prefer whipping them up after dinner–for some reason eating smoothies with a spoon makes it feel like dessert 😝.

Our current favorite is a smoothie that’s made with blueberries, rolled oats, spinach, banana, greek yogurt, almond milk, and a dash of cinnamon. The rolled oats add body and coziness to the smoothie, while the banana, greek yogurt, and almond milk make it taste like froyo. The best part though is that even though there’s a handful of spinach in there, you can’t taste it at all. Win!

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Soboro Bread, Korean Peanut Streusel Bread, 소보로빵

Soboro Bread, 소보로빵, Korean Peanut Streusel Bread

Have you ever been to a Korean bakery? On the surface, it may seem like a typical American or European shop, but instead of crusty loaves and salty crumbs, most of the shelves are filled with different variations of sweet and fluffy white bread. Bakeries are a huge part of the Korean food industry, but bread is not considered a staple food item, which is why the majority of their offerings are sweet and dessert-like. One of the most popular breads in Korea is soboro bread, 소보로빵, a soft, sweet bun topped with a crunchy peanut streusel. It also happens to be one of my favorites!

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The Trader Joe’s Cheese Board I Serve at Dinner Parties

The Trader Joe's Cheese Board I Serve at Dinner Parties

It’s officially fall and for me that means it’s officially dinner party season. Aside from the upcoming holidays, I also have a lot of friends and family who have birthdays this time of year. My husband and I like to host celebrations whenever we can. It’s not always easy since we live in a one-bedroom apartment, but we’ve managed everything from pot-luck style gatherings to a sit-down dinner for 14 so…we make it work!

The dinner menu changes depending on the guest list and occasion, but there is one staple that makes it to ALL of our gatherings: a Trader Joe’s cheeseboard. (FYI this post is not sponsored, but if you’re reading this TJ’s, call me!)

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