Nomora Food

Baked Ziti with Meat

There are two kinds of baked ziti nights: the ones where you lovingly simmer sauce all afternoon, and the ones where you want a cozy, cheesy win with minimal fuss. This is the second kind, but it still tastes like you tried really hard. My goal here is simple: juicy, well-seasoned meat sauce, pasta...

Comforting Crock Pot Beef Stew

If you want that classic, slow-simmered beef stew comfort without babysitting a pot, this Crock Pot version is your answer. We build real depth with a few small choices: a good sear (optional but worth it), enough salt early, and a splash of acid at the end to wake everything up. The result is...

Broccoli Salad with Bacon

Broccoli salad with bacon is one of those quietly brilliant dishes that checks every box: crunchy, creamy, salty, a little sweet, and somehow even better the next day. My version leans into that Portland love of balance, meaning we keep the dressing tangy, the broccoli snappy, and the bacon...

Italian Dressing Pasta Salad

This is my go-to pasta salad when I want big flavor with very little effort. It leans on a punchy Italian dressing , crisp vegetables, and a few salty, briny add-ins that make every bite feel like a real meal. The best part: it actually gets better after a short rest, as long as you dress it the...

Korean BBQ Chicken

Korean BBQ chicken is one of those magical meals where a handful of pantry ingredients turns into something sticky, sizzling, and deeply satisfying. The flavor balance is the whole point: a little sweetness, a little heat, plenty of garlic, and enough salt and acid to keep it from tasting flat. We...

Tuscan Chicken Pasta

Tuscan chicken pasta is one of those restaurant-style dishes that looks fancy, tastes indulgent, and is secretly built on very practical home-cook moves. You sear chicken for flavor, use the same pan to build a quick cream sauce, then lean on punchy ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan,...

Honey Mustard Chicken

Honey mustard chicken is one of those dinners that tastes like you worked harder than you did. The sauce is sweet, sharp, and glossy, and if you get the salt and acid right, it stops being “kid food” and starts being craveable . This is my Portland-weeknight version: minimal dishes, flexible cuts...

Homemade Taco Seasoning

If you have chili powder and cumin, you are already halfway to better taco night. I keep a small jar of homemade taco seasoning in my pantry so I can build flavor fast without the mystery ingredients, extra salt, or that one-note “taco packet” sweetness. This blend is warm, savory, and flexible. It...

Homemade Whipped Cream

Homemade whipped cream is one of those small kitchen wins that makes dessert feel special with almost no effort. It takes about 3 to 6 minutes, uses a handful of ingredients, and tastes clean, dairy-sweet in a way store-bought tubs just cannot. It is also a great way to use up heavy cream before it...

Raspberry Cheesecake

Raspberry cheesecake is the dessert I make when I want something that feels special, but still behaves like a reasonable weekend project. You get that classic, creamy tang from cream cheese, plus a punchy berry swirl that cuts through the richness. The goal here is a cheesecake that sets silky,...

Baked French Toast

Baked French toast is what I make when I want the comfort of classic French toast without standing at the stove flipping slices for 30 minutes. You get the same cozy custard-soaked bread, but the oven does the heavy lifting. The best part is the texture: crisp, caramelized top and edges, and a...

Peach Cobbler with Cake Mix

If you want the comfort of peach cobbler without the whole measuring cups everywhere situation, this is the one. We lean on boxed cake mix for the topping, but we still treat the peaches like they deserve a little respect: a pinch of salt, a bright squeeze of lemon, and just enough thickener so the...

Oven Baked Potatoes

A truly great oven baked potato is a small miracle of contrasts: shatteringly crisp skin and a center so fluffy it practically collapses into steam. The good news is you do not need restaurant tricks, just a couple of intentional choices about heat , salt , and moisture . I have baked thousands of...

Pizza Dough with Yeast

Yeast dough can feel mysterious until you make it a couple of times. Then it becomes one of those kitchen skills that pays you back forever: a handful of pantry ingredients turns into a crust that is chewy in the center, crisp at the edges , and way more satisfying than most store-bought options....

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup is supposed to feel like a deep breath. This slow cooker version gives you that classic, comforting flavor with very little active work. The key is building a broth that tastes like you actually made an effort, then adding the noodles at the end so they stay springy instead of...

Crock Pot Pork Roast

If you have ever pulled a pork roast out of the slow cooker and thought, “How is it both cooked and still somehow dry?”, you are not alone. The fix is usually not more liquid. It is the right cut, enough salt, and cooking it until it is actually tender (not just “done”). This crock pot pork roast...

Broccoli Rice Casserole with Chicken

There are nights when you want dinner to feel like a warm blanket but you do not want to cook like you are running a restaurant line. This broccoli rice casserole with chicken is my answer: creamy, cheesy, full of actual vegetables, and built to welcome leftovers. It is also quietly practical. Rice...

Homemade Vanilla Cake

This is the vanilla cake I make when I want something classic and reliably delicious without turning my kitchen into a construction zone. It has a soft, tight crumb like a bakery birthday cake, but it tastes like real butter and real vanilla because it is. We are using a streamlined creaming method...

The Baking Soda Trick for Fluffier Pancakes

Diner-style pancakes get their extra lift from gas and timing. The “baking soda trick” is simple: use baking soda only when your batter includes a real acidic ingredient (like buttermilk or yogurt), and measure it carefully so you get maximum fluff without any off flavors. Below you will find when...

Homemade Pancake Mix

When I taught cooking classes, pancakes were one of the quickest confidence-builders. The technique is simple, but timing, heat, and batter texture can feel mysterious at 7 a.m. A homemade pancake mix removes one big variable. You measure once, label the jar, and breakfast becomes: add wet...