While I wouldn't hesitate to spend hours cooking up a storm for a spectacular dish that my family enjoys, I am a firm believer that good food shouldn't require half a day to prepare. Obviously, this also holds true because I almost always have my hands tied, taking care of my children, working or ...
Chinese Braised Chicken w/ Lily Buds, Wood Ear & Shiitake Mushrooms (金針雲耳雞)
My parents are both amazing cooks. Lucky for us, my mom and dad both spent a great deal of time in the kitchen, simultaneously on some days or nights, to whip up delicious meals for the family. They loved to experiment and often stepped out of their comfort zone, cooking not only Asian meals (which ...
Instant Pot Chinese Braised Beef Shank (滷牛腱)
Any soup dumpling fans here? 🙋 Well no, this isn't a post about the difficult-to-achieve Shanghainese delicacy that I am going to tackle one day. This is a post about a cold side dish/appetizer that is commonly served at Shanghainese restaurants where they sell soup dumplings 😁. I HAVE made THIS ...
Ginger Scallion Sauce (姜葱酱)
As I've mentioned in prior posts, I was born and raised in Lower Manhattan, just a couple of blocks away from Chinatown. I was spoiled by all the good Asian food that were easily accessible and literally a few steps away from home. My sister and I often shopped at Soho, which was a short walk from ...
Hainanese Chicken Rice Instant Pot & Rice Cooker (海南鸡饭)
My family and I frequently dine at Malaysian restaurants, which seems so long ago since this COVID pandemic hit. Some of our favorites in New York City are Nyonya and Wok Wok in Manhattan. A dish that we never leave out of our order is Hainanese chicken, one of my dad's all-time favorite. He loves ...
[TIP] How to Season a New Wok
I'm Chinese. I stir fry. I stir fry A LOT. For this reason, I am an owner of multiple woks. Not to say that you must own multiple woks, but I just happen to own 4 woks currently, with each wok serving a different purpose: for instance, my stainless steel wok, which I've featured in a number of my ...
Cheung Fun (Steamed Rice Noodle Rolls) 肠粉 Shortcut Recipe
Cheung fun (steamed rice noodle rolls) is a Cantonese street food that is topped with tasty sauces and often eaten as breakfast, lunch or a snack. The most common pairing with cheung fun is curried fish balls. When I used to reside in Lower Manhattan, specifically Two Bridges, my family and I would ...
Red Bean Pudding Cake (Boot Jai Go 砵仔糕) Recipe
If it is not obvious enough, I love the Hong Kong cuisine and street foods! A huge contributor may be my upbringing - being raised in a Cantonese-speaking household that lived just a few blocks away from Chinatown and went to TVB series for entertainment 😁. For these reasons, I've discovered foods ...
Air Fryer Crispy Pork Belly Recipe (空气炸脆皮烧肉)
I recently shared my Air Fryer Char Siu Recipe and received much feedback on the ease of cooking BBQ roast pork without the oven. Since Lunar New Year is quickly approaching (you have 3 weeks to plan!), I figured I would share another easy air fryer roast meat recipe. This is an extremely popular ...
Taro Tapioca with Coconut Milk Recipe (芋頭西米露)
If I was asked to name a few of my favorite Asian desserts, I'd provide you with this list: Coconut JellyGinger Milk Custardand Taro Tapioca (or Sago)!!! I've provided my recipes for the first 2, so I figured I would check the last one off so that you can experience the creamy goodness ...
Chinese Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry Recipe (西芥蓝牛肉)
Fried rice, chicken wings, French fries and egg rolls are NOT the only items you can order off of a menu at a Chinese takeout joint! Food from these establishments once had a bad rap for potential MSG, high sodium content and/or being too caloric. However, I must add my two cents: as with all ...
Chinese Herbal Soup with Silkie Chicken & American Ginseng (or Dong Quai)
If you grew up in a Chinese household like I did, you're probably very familiar with herbal soups and medicinal teas whose aromas are so powerful that they can fill up an entire home AND linger for some time. Oddly, I've always enjoyed herbal soups and teas, and quite enjoy the bitterness 😬. Not to ...