I also really miss the shou zhua bing (手抓饼 – slightly crispy, chewy delicious Chinese pancakes) that was made at the small stall at our former neighborhood produce market. I had no reason to learn how to make it while I was in Beijing, because I could simply walk over and buy 3 RMB’s worth (about $0.50) and eat it to my heart’s content. They sold Chinese pancakes and scallion pancakes by the pound!...
Sometimes, during these highly planned cooking frenzies, something random and wonderful will emerge. All we need is a few extra ingredients and an idea. This summer, the grill has been our main source of inspiration, as you can probably already tell from our grilled char siu (whacky in theory but amazing in practice) and our favorite summer grilled wings. This past weekend, after much of the dust had cleared and we were already in clean-up mode, we had a few ingredients leftover––shrimp, mint, and limes, and a couple of ripe avocados that needed to be used, stat....
I miss the warm restaurants we’d walk into in the fall and winter. My frozen fingers would immediately thaw in the presence of dozens of bubbling, steaming pots of soup, surrounded by groups of hungry diners with their chopsticks in constant motion. Everyone would pick and choose what they wanted, drop food into the pots of bubbling broth, and eat/cook until stuffed to the gills and nearly impervious to the winter cold....
Turnips are white and pale purple in color with a flavor like a mild radish. Roasting brings out great flavor and they’re so easy to make! Gone are the old days of bland boiled turnips! Roasting veggies adds great color and flavor while preserving the nutrients. These are deliciously low carb and chock full of fiber and Vitamin C! Ingredients & Variations TURNIPS They have a mild flavor so they can be roasted with other root vegetables....
Looking for an easy but elegant recipe for a cold spread or dip? Smoked salmon dip is the answer. Why We Love this Dip This dip has all the flavor! It’s smoky, creamy, and full of fresh herbs! Smoked Salmon Dip is great for pot lucks or game day. Serve this cold dip with bagel chips, crisp veggies or even pretzels! It’s such an easy dip to make! A handful of ingredients, a food processor, and Smoked Salmon Dip is ready in 10 minutes!...
A Controversial (But Ultimately Tasty) Pork Product! Let’s! Talk! About! SPAM! Spam is a polarizing food for many out there. That pale pink cube of meat (is it actually meat?), fat, and gelatin makes for a revolting combination to some, while it’s a delicious and tantalizing gate to culinary wonders for others. Pan-fried spam and eggs? Spam mac n’ cheese? Spam sandwich? As a kid who at times revered the possibilities of bologna walking through the grocery store (we very very rarely ever ate it, because my mother, the sensible woman that she was, did not, in fact, want to feed her children processed and nitrate laden lunch meat, much to my dismay), I’m counted among the “open-minded” spam eaters....
So I decided to make this dish. It’s a dish that I grew up eating, as routine in our family as spaghetti is to others (not that we didn’t also make a good amount of spaghetti). When we have green peppers in the fridge languishing away without a purpose, I put them to good use with this. It’s a dish of tofu “noodles,” which are basically just pressed sheets of tofu that are cut into long, thin strips that sort of resemble noodles....
In this recipe, mushrooms are filled with a cream cheese filling, topped with bread crumbs and baked until golden. Ingredients for Stuffed Mushrooms Stuffed mushrooms are delicious and easy to make! They can be prepared ahead of time and baked just before serving for the perfect one (or two) bite snack! Mushrooms – Small brown, white, or cremini mushrooms, also known as baby bella mushrooms, are great for stuffing. For a one-bite snack, choose white button mushrooms....
This extra-moist carrot cake has a tender crumb and is jam-packed with goodies, all topped off with our favorite cream cheese frosting. Incredibly moist, this homemade cake is the dessert I am known for and one of my most requested. There is so much to love about this easy, from-scratch recipe! An Easy Carrot Cake Recipe This is a cake I’ve been making for about 25 years now, and it’s one I’m known for....
A Festive Cold Weather Meal Many of you already know that a Chinese hot pot meal involves a bubbling pot of soup in the center of the table, with various ingredients to cook in it, from vegetables and mushrooms, to rice cakes, noodles and dumplings, to meats and seafood. But if you’ve never hosted a hot pot dinner or party, it’s a great way to enjoy a meal with friends and family....
Well, yes and no. Obviously, there is NO pork in these buns. But they taste remarkably similar to the traditional pork cha siu bao that many of us know and love. So, if you’re looking for a great vegan Chinese recipe or vegetarian appetizer, then read on! The vegan char siu bao filling is made with tofu, and the bun dough, which is normally made with milk and/or heavy cream, is fattened up with healthy, organic (and vegan) coconut oil....
Indeed, mapo tofu is one of the most famous tofu recipes to have made it out of China. This spicy, delicious dish usually includes small amount of ground pork, but for this vegan version, we use chopped shiitake mushrooms. The result is a vegetarian/vegan dish that hasn’t sacrificed a bit of umami! Developing a Vegan Version This vegan mapo tofu recipe is very similar to our ever-popular traditional mapo tofu....
Simply combine all ingredients in the slow cooker and let the Crock Pot do the rest! The result is a perfectly healthy meal that everyone will love! A Fresh and Hearty Favorite This is the perfect budget-friendly soup and is great if you’re short on time! Just set it and forget it…until the house smells amazing in a few hours that is! This soup is so versatile! If you have extra veggies in the fridge or garden, chop them up and add them in to stretch this soup even further....
Known as “Italian bacon”, pancetta is typically sold in thin, round slices, perfect for snacking, building a hearty hero sandwich, or flavoring a sauce, soup, or stew. Milder than bacon, pancetta has a clean, lightly salty pork flavor which makes it great in so many recipes! What is Pancetta? Pancetta is a salt-cured meat product made from pork belly. It is part of a family of pork and beef Italian meats like mortadella, prosciutto, bresaola, capicola, and the more commonly meat-cured products that use pork and beef parts like pepperoni and Cotto salami....
Many of us don’t know the why or how of cooking with white wine. White wine is important in developing the flavor of certain recipes. This primer will take some of the mystery out of the benefits of cooking with white wine. What White Wine is Best for cooking? White wines are typically tangy, crisp, tart, or sweet, and the right type will add a balanced flavor to your dish as well as clear the palate from overly rich ingredients....
Posted Nov 19, 2021, Updated Feb 20, 2024 Fresh, homemade dinner rolls compliment just about every meal. They’re a staple in our house for holiday celebrations, but I also make them throughout the year. These whole wheat dinner rolls are soft & fluffy, lightly sweetened with honey and are rich and buttery. They are a healthier wheat roll to go with your favorite main dishes, easy enough to make on a typical weekday or to enjoy for a special occasion....
These fried radish cakes are an everyday breakfast or snack from the streets of Shanghai. Having grown up in and around that city, I’ve known them for as long as I can remember. That said, you dunzi have several different names. Hong Kong and its neighboring cities have something similar that they call 炸油糍 (zhà yóu cí in Mandarin or zaa yau ci in Cantonese). In many parts of China, it’s also known as 炸萝卜丝饼, zhà luóbo sī bǐng, for fried shredded radish cake....
In this recipe, apples are halved, topped with a buttery oat pecan streusel, and baked until tender! You likely have all of the ingredients on hand. It’s such a simple but special dessert with easy prep and delicious fall flavor. A Cozy Fall Dessert: Baked Apples! Baked apples can be prepped ahead of time and baked while you eat dinner! Use any variety of apples and a few ingredients that are probably already in the pantry!...
This baked mac and cheese is easy to make with pasta in a rich cheesy homemade sauce (and lots of it) baked until bubbly under a golden crumb topping. What You Need to Make Baked Mac and Cheese Pasta: I love elbow macaroni for mac and cheese. Elbows can be replaced with any medium or small shapes. Ridges or holes hold the sauce best—try shells or cavatappi. Butter/Flour: Butter and flour create a roux which thickens the sauce....
This recipe can be made with homemade or store bought teriyaki sauce and makes for delicious sticky chicken that is tender and juicy inside. This recipe has minimal prep, simply whisk the sauce and pour over the thighs and drumsticks and bake! We love to serve it with a side of baked rice and some steamed broccoli. Did you know that teriyaki is actually a cooking technique? It’s a Japanese method of grilling or broiling with a combination of sugar and soy sauce (and often mirin) and it’s often made with fish....
