“What’s more luscious than cheesecake, roses in bloom and freshly washed hair? Let me count…,” she said to Mr. Goat. ~ DIM SUM SERIES ~ What is about mayonnaise that makes it taste sooo good? The satisfying ‘mouthfeel’ that food companies strive to imbue in their products, the same reason why crispy chicken, ice cream, chocolate, pecan pie and of course, […]
Taiwanese Ground Pork Rice 卤肉饭
If you’re going to eat pork, eat it till your mouth drips. ~ Yiddish proverb ~ TAIWAN STREET FOOD SERIES – Part 2 ~ The last time we married east and west over a bucket of Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken amidst the drama of English aristocracy. Today we continue bringing the tastes of Taiwan street food into our homes in California. […]
Traditional Baked Mooncakes 传统粤式月饼
Mid-Autumn Festival Mooncakes 中秋月饼, commonly just called ‘Mooncakes’月饼 are traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Shared with friends and family while celebrating the abundance of harvest, the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the four most important Chinese festivals and falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month in the lunar calendar. These round-shaped […]
Late-Summer Morning at Edgewood Park
We thread our way through a moving forest of ice-cream cones and crimson thighs. ~ Jean-Dominique Bauby After weeks of temperamental swings between dusty dry heat and misty august rains, baby-blue skies heralded a pleasant morning on a recent August day. As the countdown toward Labor Day progressed, we knew the long lazy days of summer and seemingly endless outdoor […]
Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken
In order to have good fried chicken, you should wash and season the bird the morning you’re preparing it for dinner. Don’t wait and do it right before you start cooking. Throw it in the refrigerator, seasoned, that morning, and give it a chance to soak up all the salt and pepper and goodness. ~ Paula […]
Pan-Fried Tofu with Egg
“Silky golden nuggets with a spicy surprise!” Don’t you just love it when a wrong turn ends up being right, when a mistake turns into an unexpected success, when a kitchen misadventure cooks up a new favorite? That’s what happened the other night – an attempt to save a blooper turned up a surprising appetizer that barely made it […]
Stone Fruit Pancakes
“Like sweet starbursts waiting to explode.” Sometimes it’s not always about how made-from-scratch a dish is. Sometimes it’s just about enjoying simplicity. In other words, sometimes it’s perfectly OK to cheat. How does that work? Ask 5 persons how they would make a pancake and you’ll get 6 answers. (See how that’s cheating? That was a spin-off […]
“Dragon’s Eye” Cabbage and Eggplant
Let your imagination soar with this unique visual treat. Never give up and good luck will find you. ~ Falkor, ‘The Neverending Story’ My love for fantasy began early. As a child, one of my favourite movies was ‘The Neverending Story’. It was a fantasy within a fantasy. My favourite character was Falkor, the luckdragon. […]
Singapore Hokkien Mee (Noodle)
A uniquely Singaporean noodle in celebration of Singapore’s National Day. We are a few days away from Singapore’s National Day. As a schoolgirl, I looked forward to this day. I wish I could say, “for patriotic reasons”. The reality was more pragmatic: It meant we could have ‘an excursion’; this referred to a field trip taken during a school day. […]
Braised Pork Belly 扣肉
Spices and soy sauces turn this versatile meat into a tender and aromatic dish that melts in the mouth. There is some version of a pork belly recipe on just about every continent and in every cuisine. Maybe not in Arctic and Antarctica, unless pigs fly… and have thick fur. Until then, we have crispy pork belly, roasted pork […]