Soulmates Cooking

Soulmates Cooking Soulmates Cooking -- sharing our love of food The Soulmates Cooking team has had a lifelong passion for cooking and entertaining. Happy Cooking!
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The husband and wife team of 25-plus years released their first cookbook in 2022. The team is looking forward to collaborating with you, sharing recipes from the cookbook, new culinary creations, cooking tips and ideas. The Soulmates Cooking ebook will be available for Apple and Android devices in February 2023.

05/26/2026

We only get soft-shell crabs once a year and we forget how delicious they are. We wish beach snack shacks sold sandwiches like this. If they did, we’d order one every single time.

Crispy fried soft-shell crab piled onto toasted brioche with lemon Old Bay mayo, shredded lettuce, tomato, and quick-pickled fennel and red onion. Lots of great textures and flavors in this sandwich, and exactly the kind of sandwich we want all summer.

Recipe in comments.

05/21/2026

Classic New York cheesecake with a mango glaze. This cheesecake recipe goes back decades. We have made very small adjustments over the years. We do like to use our base cheesecake and spin up different versions, like this one with a mango glaze.

Crust
8 Tbsp Salted Butter, Melted
1¾ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs (GF Optional)
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

Filling
2½ lbs Cream Cheese, Softened
1¼ cups Granulated Sugar
2 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
5 Large Eggs

Fresh Mango Purée
Flesh from 2 Ripe Mangoes
2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
⅓ cup Water (plus 1–2 Tbsp as needed)

Mango Glaze
1½ cups Fresh Mango Purée
2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar (adjust to taste)
1 tsp Lemon Juice
Pinch Kosher Salt
¾-1 tsp Agar Agar Powder

Crust: Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine melted butter, crumbs, and cinnamon. Press firmly into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Freeze for 15 minutes.

Filling: Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 5 minutes, scraping down sides. Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time (30 seconds between each). Scrape down and mix for a final 30 seconds.

Bake: Wrap the bottom of the springform pan in two layers of foil and place it on a sheet pan. Pour filling over the crust. Place on the middle rack. Pour warm water onto the sheet pan, filling it ½-inch up (do not let water touch the filling). Bake for 1 hour. Turn off heat, open the door, and let sit for 15–20 minutes. Rest on the counter for 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours).

Mango Purée: Combine mango flesh, sugar, and ⅓ cup water in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, stirring, for 3–5 minutes until soft. Blend until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. If too thick, add 1–2 Tbsp water. The purée should be pourable. Measure 1½ cups for the glaze.

Glaze: Transfer 1½ cups purée, sugar, and agar agar to a saucepan. Whisk and bring to a full simmer, cooking for 1–2 minutes to activate the agar agar. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and salt. Let cool for 2–3 minutes. Pour evenly over the chilled cheesecake and let set at room temperature for 10–15 minutes.

05/14/2026

Soft shell crabs look intimidating, but they’re actually one of the easiest seafood dishes you can make at home.

Lightly dredged, pan fried in olive oil until crispy, then finished with a ginger soy butter sauce built with sake, mirin, shallots, and garlic.

We put this dish on our restaurant menu every time they were in season.

Would you give this one a try or do you prefer traditional deep fried, sandwich style?

05/12/2026

Pork loin isn’t dry. It’s usually just overcooked.

Reverse searing slowly brings the pork up to temperature before the final sear, which helps keep it juicy from edge to edge.

We finished the pork with a shiitake Dijon cream pan sauce. We buy our pork loins from Costco and one provides 2 dinners for 20 bucks!

Pork
2 lb Center Cut Pork Loin
2 Tbsp Avocado Oil
1½ tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Coarse Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Powder

Shiitake Dijon Cream Sauce
2 Tbsp Salted Butter
1 Large Shallot Finely Minced
3 Garlic Cloves Minced
8 oz Shiitake Mushrooms Stemmed and Sliced
½ cup Dry White Wine
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves or ½ tsp Ground Thyme
Kosher Salt to Taste
Coarse Ground Black Pepper to Taste
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.

Trim any excess silver skin or large exterior fat from the pork loin. Cut 4 thick pork loin chops approximately 1½ to 2 inches thick. Pat the pork dry thoroughly with paper towels. Season all sides with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.

Place the pork chops on a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Transfer to the oven and cook until the internal temperature reaches 122–125 degrees.

Remove the pork from the oven and rest for 5–10 minutes while heating a cast iron skillet over medium-high to high heat.

Add the avocado oil. Once the oil is shimmering, sear the pork chops for approximately 1-2 minutes per side and edges until deeply browned.

Transfer the pork chops to a plate and reduce the heat to medium.

Add the butter, shallots, and garlic to the skillet. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and softened.

Add the shiitake mushrooms and cook until browned and most of their liquid has evaporated, approximately 6–8 minutes.

Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. Simmer until the wine is reduced by about half.

Add the heavy cream and thyme. Simmer gently for 3–5 minutes until slightly thickened.

Stir in the Dijon mustard until fully incorporated. Taste and season with kosher salt and black pepper as needed.

Spoon the sauce over the pork chops and serve.

05/04/2026

This pasta is simple, but it’s one of those dishes that’s easy to mess up.

The difference isn’t ingredients, it’s technique. Less water to increase the starch content. Cold butter and pasta water to finish cooking the pasta, and most importantly, making the cremina outside of the pan and then tossing with pasta.

Good luck with this lemon pasta. We know you will nail it and love making it for your family and friends. Great spring recipe!

Recipe:
1 lb Spaghetti
⅓ cup Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice (About 2 Lemons)
2 tsp Lemon Zest (1 Lemon)
1½ Tbsp Fresh Oregano Minced
1¾ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
3 Tbsp Cold Salted Butter
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups Pasta Water (Reserved)
Fresh Basil
Kosher Salt to Taste
Coarse Ground Black Pepper to Taste

Place a pot of salted water on high heat. Use less water than usual to concentrate starch.

In a mixing bowl, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano, Parmesan cheese and a pinch of black pepper. Set aside.

Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente. Stir well during the first minute of cooking to release starch. Reserve about 2 cups of pasta water before draining.

In a large pan over low heat, add 1 cup pasta water and the cold butter. Swirl continuously until the butter fully emulsifies into a glossy sauce.

Transfer the pasta into the pan. Toss vigorously to coat, allowing the pasta to finish cooking to al dente in the sauce.

Add the olive oil and continue tossing until incorporated.

Remove the pan from the heat.

Add ⅓–½ cup hot pasta water to the lemon and cheese mixture. Whisk until smooth and pourable.

Pour the mixture into the pan all at once. Toss continuously until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy. Add small splashes of pasta water as needed to loosen and stretch the sauce.

Taste and adjust seasoning with kosher salt and black pepper if needed. Go easy on the salt as the cheese is salty.

Plate the pasta. Loosen the reserved sauce with a splash of pasta water and spoon over the top.

Finish with fresh basil and black pepper.

04/28/2026

Not your standard Pasta salad! We love this pasta salad with toasted coconut, a vibrant vinaigrette and broiled shrimp. We served this at our restaurant and it’s a salad we selected to be included in our cookbook.

We owned our restaurant 30 years ago but we seem to remember this salad being a result of trying to move leftover pasta that was pre-boiled/shocked for a busy night of service as any chef would to control food costs.

Angel hair pasta with shrimp and some sort of sauce on special Saturday night and then spun into a chilled salad for lunch special the next day.

04/21/2026

Simple shouldn’t be this good. This is one of the easiest desserts that you will love preparing for your friends and family. Light, fresh, and perfect when you want something sweet without working too hard.

Ricotta Cream
1½ cups Whole Milk Ricotta (Well Drained)
3 Tbsp Confectioners’ Sugar
1 Tbsp Honey
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Lemon Zest
Pinch Kosher Salt
Topping
Fresh Berries
Mini Chocolate Chips
Honey for Drizzling
Finish with Lemon Zest or Fresh Mint

Step 1 – Smooth the Ricotta
Place ricotta cheese in a fine strainer or cheese cloth and drain in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth and creamy.

Step 2 – Build the Flavor
Add confectioners’ sugar, honey, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and salt. Mix until fully combined and smooth. Taste and adjust if needed.

Step 3 – Plate
Spoon ricotta cream into bowls with fresh berries. Drizzle lightly with honey. Serve mini chocolate chips on the side or on top of ricotta. Finish with optional lemon zest or mint.

04/17/2026

Restaurant-style yellowtail with jalapeño and homemade ponzu and yuzu gel.

We always order a variation of this appetizer when we go out to a high-end Japanese restaurant. The dish is actually simple to make at home!

Yuzu Gel
1/2 cup Yuzu Juice
2–3 Tbsp Water
1 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
Pinch Kosher Salt
1 tsp Agar Agar

Combine yuzu juice, water, sugar, salt, and agar agar in a small saucepan. Whisk well while cold to fully disperse.

Bring to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat.
Boil for 30–60 seconds while whisking continuously to activate the agar agar.

Pour into a shallow dish and let set at room temperature for 15 minutes until fully firm.

Transfer to a squeeze bottle and refrigerate until ready to plate.

Ponzu Sauce
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp Lime Juice
3 Tbsp Mirin
1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
3 Tbsp Water
1 (3×3 inch) Kombu
1/3 cup Bonito Flakes

Combine all ingredients in a container or jar.
Cover and refrigerate for 12–24 hours to allow flavors to infuse.

Pass through a fine mesh strainer to removing kombu and bonito flakes.

Yellowtail Crudo Plating
Sashimi-Grade Yellowtail, thinly sliced
Jalapeño, thinly sliced
Scallions, cut on a bias
Cilantro Leaves
Flaky Salt
Prepared Ponzu
Prepared Yuzu Gel

Lay the yellowtail slices on a plate in a single layer with some space in between.

Lightly sprinkle each piece with flaky salt.

Top each slice with a jalapeño round and a cilantro leaf.
Dot yuzu gel between the slices.

Lightly drizzle ponzu over each piece, allowing it to lightly coat the fish without pooling.

Finish with sliced scallions on top of each piece of fish.
Serve immediately while cold.

03/26/2026

Don’t let cooking whole fish intimidate you. It’s easy prep and actually harder to overcook. Cooking fish whole keeps it more juicy and flavorful than filets.

Branzino is easy to find at most local markets, and this version from our cookbook keeps things simple. Roasted with garlic, fresh herbs, citrus zest, butter, and olive oil…then finished with a sweet and tangy honey citrus glaze.

3-3½ lbs Whole Branzino (3-4 fish) Scaled and Gutted
3 Tbsp Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
2 tsp Lemon Zest
3 Tbsp Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
2 tsp Lime Zest
¼ cup Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
2 tsp Orange Zest
4 Garlic Cloves Minced
½ cup Fresh Italian Parsley Minced
2 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar Packed
¼ cup Honey
4 Tbsp Salted Butter Melted
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt for Seasoning the Fish
Coarse Ground Black Pepper for Seasoning the Fish

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Thoroughly dry both sides of each branzino with a paper towel. Make 3-4 slits on each side of the branzino with a sharp knife.

Generously season the inside and outside of each branzino with kosher salt and black pepper. Place the whole branzino on a sheet pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix the extra virgin olive oil, butter, garlic, parsley, lime zest, lemon zest and orange zest in a small mixing bowl. Mix all ingredients together, and rub the mixture on the inside and outside of each branzino.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the branzino filet is at least 145 degrees. (Optional) Broil the last 2 minutes to crisp the skin.

In a small saucepan, combine the lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, honey and brown sugar. Whisk all ingredients together. Place over medium-high heat and bring mixture to a boil.

Reduce the liquid by at least half. Reduce heat to low after the sauce is reduced and hold until fish is ready.

When the branzino is ready to serve, drizzle half of the honey citrus sauce over each fish. Reserve the remaining half to drizzle over individual portions.

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Newtown, PA
18940

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