A paw full of spice makes everything nice
Sticky Sweet Spicy Garlic Crispy Asian Style pork ribs! A child cries at the dining room table. Before her, a small plate of untouched noodles next to a small pile of sparkling clean rib bones. She demands more, more than the hefty portion she was given. Her request for more stems from an instinctive,…
Growing up in Seattle, beef and broccoli was always my favorite go-to for Chinese takeout. I loved the tenderized beef with broccoli florets that so perfectly soaked up all that brown gravy. Ideal to eat when it was fresh and hot but still good cold the next day for lunch or, if you are so…
How do I describe this pork and king oyster mushrooms stir-fry? Well, it’s difficult to put in words. Have you ever eaten something that made you question why you don’t eat that exact same thing every day? A food that is so tasty, so layered in flavor, succulent, juicy, salty and just a little…
I like Kung Pao Chicken and I like chicken wings but I absolutely love these Kung Pao Chicken Wings. Why? Well, for one thing they are delicious. Tender on the inside and coated in a mouthwatering salty, sweet and spicy sauce. They don’t take much prep or an extensive amount of time to throw…
Before I had my beautiful daughter, life was carefree! Sure, I’ll have another beer. Why not stay out late on a Saturday night? Hey, let’s go away for the weekend! I had so many opportunities to spend my extra money and extra time. Especially when I became sick. If I felt ill,…
Zha Jiang Mian translates to “fried noodle sauce” meaning that you must ‘fry’ or simmer the sauce and add it to the noodles later, almost like a Chinese version of spaghetti with marinara sauce. Although this dish is typically made with minced meat, I prefer the vegetarian version…
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again – no one cooks better vegetarian and vegan food than countries in Asia. Some of my favorite foods are vegetarian and vegan: Karela chips from India, traditional Bibimbap from South Korea, tofu of all kinds, and of course, any vegetarian Indian…
. . . . . . . Niurou lamian has a special place in my family’s heart. My husband ate niurou lamian every day for breakfast when he lived in Lanzhou, a city in Western China. He frequented his favorite noodle shop so often that they even gave him a go at throwing…
Beef liver gets a bad reputation. Some people say that it is gritty and has a strong metallic tang to it. However, when I remember my grandmother’s liver and onions, I don’t recall either of these traits. Why is that? Was it a special magic spice she coated it with? Nope. She…
When it comes to pickled vegetables, nobody does it better than Asian grandmothers. They’ve spent years and years stuffing crates of it for their family whilst simultaneously slapping hands away and telling people, ‘You’re doing it wrong. Go sit down.’ If you ever have the opportunity to avail yourself of an older Asian…
An Ex-pat staple food Whenever sitting down to eat in any restaurant in China, the wait staff would usually turn the menu pages to the Kung Pao Chicken picture knowing that I, an American ex-pat living in Beijing, would insist on ordering the dish. It’s true. I will ALWAYS order Kung Pao Chicken. I can’t…
For over a decade, I taught preschool all around the world. Which means that I have seen kids’ lunches from Seoul to Seattle. Not only that but I’ve experienced the universal struggle of getting children to sit at a table and eat food. Whether each meal is delightful or dreadful really depends on what’s…
Let’s be honest, pork belly is one of the best things you could ever eat in your life. You can slow roast it in the oven for those tender and juicy layers of meat. Thinly slice and cure it to make bacon. Or thinly slice and stir-fry it like the Chinese do….
One of the things I admire most about Chinese food culture is its love of snacks. Chinese people love snacks and it shows. No long travel journey in China would be complete without a plastic bag full of dried noodles, fruit, pickled chicken feet, peanuts, sunflower seeds or processed sausage tubes for eating along with…
Without dumplings, is it really Chinese New Year? Could it be celebrated without an onslaught of fireworks, red envelopes filled with cash and a big steaming plate of dumplings? No…它不能!!!! So, after 5 years or so of living in China, I finally asked a friend’s mother to come and teach me how…
Every once in a while I get a craving for sweet and sour pork. Truth be told, this is not one of my favorite Chinese dishes, it wasn’t particularly even easy to find on a menu in Beijing. It was more of a Westernized version of Chinese food than anything else. BUT with its crispy…
Ah, smashed Chinese cucumber salad with garlic and sesame oil. In China, no plate of dumplings would be complete without a side of this vegetable dish to go with it. Not to mention how refreshing it is to start off a summer meal with a big bottle of Tsingtao beer and a little plate of…