Sweet & Savory is a cooking and entertaining resource for classic dishes, cooking tutorials and entertaining.
Hey, hey, welcome to my virtual kitchen!
My name is Shinee, and I’m so happy to have you here!
I believe anyone can cook restaurant-quality food at home!
And that’s why here on Sweet & Savory, my goal is to help you to become a confident cook!
I do all the researching and testing for you… so you can confidently cook and bake the classic dishes you love.
- My recipes are well tested in my home kitchen and approved by my family and friends.
- I share all the tips and secrets I learned along the way, so you can easily recreate them in your kitchen.
- Every recipe is easy to follow with lots of tips for success and step-by-step photos/videos to guide you through every step of the way.
And most importantly, I teach you the “why”-s behind the technique, so you can easily add your own twist to the dishes, as you become more confident with your skills.
Don’t take my word for it though. Check out what my readers say about delicious, yet gorgeous food they’ve made at home:
“Thank you for this amazing (chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling) recipe. Made it for my friend’s birthday cake and it turned out incredible. Was absolutely a hit.”
“My second ever attempt at macarons… They look amazing! Thank you so much for this recipe, instructions were perfect and I can’t believe how fantastic they look. Not to mention, taste great.”
“Just want to let you know that I tried your bacon chicken meatballs served with the sauce for our usual party night. Everyone loved the meatballs, especially the sauce! We almost dipped the sauce on every bite of the meatballs.”
NOW, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME…
I’m a small town girl with big city cravings…
Living in rural North Dakota and not having access to many restaurants and bakeries, I craved impressive desserts on special occasions and big city flavors in my everyday life. You see, one thing (and probably the only thing) I absolutely loved living in Los Angeles is the diverse food I’ve experienced there. From pretty macaron shops to neighborhood Italian restaurants, I got to eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.
Now, since my favorite bakery is more than 100 miles away, I had to learn to bake gourmet desserts from scratch. And instead of driving to the next town (30 miles away!) for a nice meal, I wanted quick n’ easy yet special dinners that I can make right in my own kitchen.
Through numerous trials and errors and consulting my trusted cookbooks, I’ve created approachable recipes with easy-to-follow directions to satisfy my cravings for gourmet eats.
I don’t miss big city food anymore (well, maybe a little…) because now I can impress my friends and family with a batch of beautiful macarons and celebrate birthdays with homemade layer cake from scratch, right here in my own kitchen. Nothing makes me happier and more accomplished than seeing my loved ones enjoy my beautiful- and delicious– creations.
I live with my husband, Garrat, and 2 little boys, Grant and George.
- Garrat is a rancher by day, a handyman on demand, a plant nerd all year-round and my #1 taste-tester in the kitchen.
- Farmer Grant is my 4-year-old son who is very into farming! He has very good appetite and loves to eat everything from mushrooms to blueberry cake and everything in between!
- George is my 2-year-old son. He’s my youngest taste-tester and absolutely loves his job! It’s impossible to name all his favorite food, because he loves to eat! He’s also an aspiring farmer.
…Besides spending countless hours in the kitchen, traveling is another passion of mine. In fact, I uprooted myself from my homeland, Mongolia, a decade ago to explore the world. How and why I settled in ND is a whole another story for another day. But you can read some of my travel journals right here.
Now your turn. Don’t be a stranger, introduce yourself in the comments below and tell me something about you. I’d love to get to know you too.
Thanks so much for stopping by! It’s an absolute pleasure having you here.
P.S. If we’re not connected on Facebook yet, please come join me over there and watch my short n’ sweet video recipes. I’m also very active on Instagram, sharing tips and tricks, cooking demos, and general behind the scenes stuff. Come join me there, if you’re into that kind of stuff.
xo,
Shinee
Elaine says
Sounds delicious!
Shawntal says
Hi, I love the chocolate wrap and want to try. Can any I use any chocolate?
Shinee says
Hi, Shawntal. Yes, you can either semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate to make chocolate cage. Milk chocolate would work in pinch too, but I find milk chocolate are softer. White chocolate will also work.
Barbara Karr says
In the 60’s I worked for a high-end restaurant in Missouri that used to order Tortes from Kansas City, MO. They were extremely expensive pastries. And equally DECADENT!! With your love of macaroons, I know you love a challenge. These cakes were sold by the slice. Creamy, rich, and awesome. Do you know anything about them? These are not simple but I would love to be able to make them. Would like to know if you recognize this dessert and are you willing to try one? Oh!! love the new format! It is sleek and clean. Easy to use. Best Wishes!!!
Shinee says
Hi, Barbara. Thank you so much for you compliments on the new design. So happy to read your feedback!! As for Torte, I’d love to try it and make one. However, I’m not sure what kind of Torte you’re referring to. “Tort” in Russian or “torte” in German means cake. And when I googled it, it sounds like Torte is multilayered egg and nut flour based cake. Does that sound familiar? Would love to hear more details of the Torte you had. Was it chocolate, vanilla? What kind of frosting? Do you remember?
Janice Mincey says
Hi my name is Janice I ‘m a Baker. I’ve decided to start my own business. I never made macaroons before and I really want to learn. I would love some tips .
Shinee says
Hi, Janice!!! I recently shared my macaron video, which, I think, is a great place to start. Here’s the link to the video: https://youtu.be/M5vcrM8f0fY
Misheel says
Sain uu, Shinee?
I stumbled upon your site looking for a pirozhki recipe. I can’t wait to make it!
I am fellow Mongolian living in Montreal.
Your website is gorgeous!
Shinee says
Sain, sain uu, Misheel?! Thank you, and welcome!! So glad you found my site. Please let me know how your pirojki, if you try it.
Larry says
Well: I’m a 79 y/o US expat, living with my Chilean wife in Santiago, where we’ve live these past 16 years. (My wife and I met, married and lived in the US until I grabbed early retirement and we fled Northern US winters, abandoning our adult son.)
As my wife grew up in a middle-class home, they had a homemaker—almost de rigueur for their class—so my wife never learned to cook. My Mom was a refugee from Hitler’s Germany and was an excellent cook. Bottom line: I’m the cook in our family—-well, I and *our* homemaker (whom we’ve not seen since the imposition of a city-wide quarantine.) (Yes, we still pay her wages: what’s right is right.) Anyway, being flung back into the role of the sole food producer, I’ve expanded my repertoire quite a bit to keep things interesting.
Sharafat says
Please send me YouTube link
Shinee says
Hi, Sharafat. Here’s the link to my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ShineeD. Thanks!
Cynda says
Hi Shinee,
I have never been a baker until this “quarantine” thing! Now Im making muffins and macarons each week. I just did a batch of chocolate with nutella buttercream today and they turned out great, using all of your tips and your measurements for the macaron cookie. I live in the DC Baltimore area. My husband is in the restaurant business and I work for the Univ Of MD. we are avid cooks and foodies… can’t wait to try some of your savory recipes next. Thank you for sharing your time and your passion. cynda
Shinee says
Hi, Cynda!! Welcome to the baking world!!! So glad you’re enjoying baking and making the best out of the current situation!! I just saw your photo of macarons you e-mailed me, and they look absolutely beautiful!!! You’re naturally talented! Thank you for visiting my site.
Cynda says
Your tips and steps have helped tremendously. So glad I found your site. My husbands favorite macaron filling was your lemon buttercream!! Just wanted to let you know!! Hope all is well in North Dakota… and thank you again for sharing your time, love and passion with us.
Shinee says
Yay, that lemon buttercream is my favorite too!!! Spring is finally in the air here in ND.
Pang says
Regarding your 3 ingredient chocolate cherry cake. Can this cake be frozen?
dick says
Hi, I too am an Asian-American in ND (my family is from India, my wife from Philippines). Nice to meet u!
Shinee says
Welcome. Thanks for stopping by, Dick.
Patricia Fall says
Hi and thank you for sharing your recipes and i look forward to trying many of them
Shinee says
You’re welcome, Patricia. And thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. Please let me know if you try any of my recipes, or if you have any questions.
Brenda Barrs says
Looking forward to all your recipes 👍🏻🌹
Shinee says
Thank you, Brenda. If you try any of my recipes, please come back and leave us your feedback. 🙂
Brenda Milcetic says
Hi Shines,
I just signed up to your website. Your recipes look stunning! I am new to baking (1 1/2 years) and have never made a cheesecake. Am planning on making your German Chocolate Cheesecake. It looks so, so AWESOME! I notice it reads to only let cool for one hour. Other recipes I have seen read to put cheesecakes in the fridge for 6-8 hours or overnight even. Why is this so? Thank you and God bless,
Brenda
Pat Lau says
Hi Shinee,
My husband and I tried your How to Make a Perfect Prime Rib using the Reverse Searing Method. It turned out perfectly. We made it for Mother’s Day and we are using your recipe again for a delayed Father’s Day dinner tomorrow on Sunday. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. It’s already become a family favorite.
Pat
Amrita says
Hi Shinee
I found you on Pinterest on my search for macaron recipes. Came up on your red velvet Macaroni recipe and gave it a shot. They are in the oven as I speak. However I skipped the cream of tartar and have a feeling that my batter is under mixed. This is the fifth time I am making Macarons. Have my fingers crossed. Let’s see. Will keep you posted.
Amrita
Shinee says
Hi, Amrita! Hope your macarons turned out good. Thank you for stopping by and saying “hi”! 🙂
Myrna Cascon says
Hi ,I just came across your site and i like your recipe here which you made it easier to follow because of detailed tips and step by step procedure. I will surely try them.
I am from the Philippines and a mother of four grown up kids who loves to eat.
Thank you
Myrna
Shinee says
Hi, Myrna. So happy you’re enjoying my site. Thank you for your comment, and let me know if you make any of my recipes. Cheers!
Kathy says
Hi Shinee,
How fun you are from Mongolia. Our daughter, almost 16, is from Almaty Kazakhstan! We live in Massachusetts. I made your pistachio macarons and loved them. I am now addicted and want to make more. I will be trying some of your other flavors.
Kathy
Shinee says
Hi, Kathy! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed those macarons, and yes, they’re quite addicting! And how interesting your daughter is from Kazakhstan! We have so many cultural similarities with kazakhs!
Catie Comer says
Looking forward to try out your piroshki recipe, and some of your others. I lived in Russia and miss my babushka’s cooking. I’d love it if you have a really good Plov recipe!
Shinee says
Hi, Catie! Thank you for reaching out. Hope you’ll enjoy those piroshki, they’re my favorite comfort food. I know, babushka’s cooking is the best, and I can only imagine how much you miss it. And plov is one of my favorites too! I’ll work on getting the recipe up on the blog later this year.
Marquetta says
My granddaughter has been driving me crazy to make her macarons and I am tired of paying $2+ per cookie at the stores !! This recipe sounds delish to me but I would like some recipes with other cookie & cream filling flavors. Do you have other flavor recipes as well somewhere ?
Shinee says
Hi, Marquetta. Unfortunately, I don’t have cookie & cream flavored macarons, but you can check out all my macaron flavors here: https://www.sweetandsavorybyshinee.com/category/desserts/french-macarons/
Stephen Courtney (Steve) says
Do you know of any meringue cookie recipes? We had a store chain here in town for a period but new chains came in and they closed for lack of business . They had sold the meringue cookies every December now the replacement stores know nothing about the cookies. They were a commercially available cookie but I do not recall the outfit that produced them. Your divinity recipe looks marvelous!
Mini says
I want to make your peanut brittle recipe, but my microwave is 1100 watt. What would be your suggestion, so that I can make this great recipe?
Shinee says
Hi, Mini. I’d try reducing the timing of each session by 15 seconds. Or do it at 90% power. Hope this helps.