Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet. ~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau Bitter melon, also called bitter gourd, is a green-colored, tropical fruit with a waxy skin. Its slightly bitter taste can be discouraging to some but recipes usually include ingredients and sauces to offset the sharpness, resulting in a rather unique taste. Recently an old friend, J, mentioned […]
Sides
St. Patrick’s Deviled Salmon Cucumber Rounds
May your troubles be less and your blessings be more and nothing but happiness come through the door. ~ Irish blessing I have always thought of St. Patrick as a ‘fun’ sort of saint. His namesake day March 17 tends to be associated with pageantry and revelry. Lenten restrictions are often lifted on this feast day of the […]
Buddha’s Delight 罗汉斋 ‘Loh Han Jai’
You don’t stumble upon your heritage. It’s there, just waiting to be explored and shared. ~ Robbie Robertson The period of celebration for the Lunar New Year is over, culminating with a gathering over Glutinous Rice Balls 汤圆 ‘Tang Yuan’ with Black Sesame Paste. Buddha’s Delight is a vegetarian dish that is cleansing and easy to […]
Turnip Cake ‘Loh Bok Gau‘ 萝卜糕
A love for tradition has never weakened a nation, indeed it has strengthened nations in their hour of peril. – Winston S. Churchill ~ DIM SUM SERIES ~ A week ago, people of Chinese descent all over the world celebrated the Lunar New Year, welcoming the Year of the Rooster. Following tradition, where Lunar New Year is celebrated […]
Kale and Sweet Potatoes
Winter sports takes on a new meaning. Just how much longer is the cold and wet spell going to last? Skiing has been good with all the snow but enough with the rain already, yes? Looking for that silver lining, we are all hoping that the rains and storms we have seen will bring an end […]
Fried Tang Hoon 炒粉丝 (glass noodles)
Updated from original post on May 26, 2016 Tang hoon, also called vermicelli, glass noodles, 冬粉 (dong fen, meaning winter noodles), is a light version of bee hoon, typically made from some kind of starch. Most commonly found are ones made of mung bean starch, often referred to as ‘mung bean thread’. Compared to bee hoon, which is made […]
Crystal Skin Shrimp Dumplings
“Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.” ~ Mark Twain ~ DIM SUM SERIES ~ Twain was a man after my own heart. I love dim sum. The tapas-style dining means lots of varieties of food to try in one sitting, from […]
- Appetizers
- ...
Siu Mai Dumplings
“Never judge a Siu Mai by its wrapper.” ~ DIM SUM SERIES ~ Dim Sum (think ‘Chinese tapas’) restaurants are easy to find here in the Bay Area. However, good ones are another thing. They are but a handful, their credibility constantly reinforced by the ever-growing lines and wait times every weekend. True to Hong Kong dim […]
Ginger Beef and Broccoli
So long vegetarian is not the goal; or you might need to find new dining companions. I am not really sure how beef and broccoli became an American Chinese food staple. I know it is a safe bet to order it for a table of folks new to Chinese food or generally less adventurous diners. […]
Cold Tofu with Bonito Flakes
“If turkey vultures think it’s too warm to hunt, who am I to disagree?” Tofu ranks high on my list of pantry staples. There are always 2 or 3 packages in my cart on every grocery run. The best parts (my grammar teacher may remind me that the superlative of good describes a singular noun but hear me out) are how versatile it […]