Recipes & Cooking

Yakisoba (Japanese Fried Noodles/焼きそば)

Yakisoba (Japanese Fried Noodles/焼きそば)

When I was in Oahu, other than stuffing my face with malassadas (malasadas), sampling local Hawaiian cuisine, and feasting on shrimp, I ate Japanese food almost every day. Oahu is a real gem for Japanese food, thanks to the many Japanese tourists and also locals who are obsessed with Japanese cuisine. There are countless authentic Japanese restaurants dotting Waikiki Beach:…

Spotlight

Shrimp and Chive Dumplings (韭菜虾饺)

Shrimp and Chive Dumplings (韭菜虾饺)

When it comes to cooking or eating, I am very spontaneous. It’s about what comes to mind at the very moment when I am hungry–a recipe from a cookbook, a mouthwatering picture online, or a sudden craving. These shrimp and chive dumplings were a result of browsing two sinfully delicious posts: Use Real Butter’s chive dumplings and Andrea Nguyen’s Asian…

Steamed Dumplings Recipe

Steamed Dumplings Recipe

There is no secret that I love dumplings—boiled, pan-fried, or steamed. Recently, a coworker from Japan is in town and we were discussing about going for a dim sum/dumpling lunch. All the dumpling talks triggered a sharp craving in me that I had to make my own steamed dumplings. Making dumplings is really not so hard and you can get…

Banana Pancakes Recipe

Banana Pancakes Recipe

Once in a while, I like making healthy breakfasts, for example, banana pancakes with maple syrup, topped with my favorite berries. Nothing beats waking up and having a feel-good breakfast that is loaded with all the nutrition one needs for the rest of the day–protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and more. I am not a big fan of traditional pancakes; I…

Lettuce Wraps Recipe (Lettuce-wrapped Chicken)

Lettuce Wraps Recipe (Lettuce-wrapped Chicken)

(Chinese recipes, prepare authentic Chinese food now!) Called 生菜包 in Chinese, or “Sung Choy Bao” in Cantonese, lettuce wraps are basically minced chicken (or pork) wrapped up in fresh iceberg lettuce leaves served with hoisin dipping sauce. Lettuce wraps are tasty and very refreshing and come complete with a crunchy texture of the cold iceberg lettuce leaf. They are healthy…

Chinese Tea Eggs (Tea Leaf Eggs) Recipe

Chinese Tea Eggs (Tea Leaf Eggs) Recipe

(Chinese recipes, prepare authentic Chinese food now!) This past weekend, my neighborhood Albertson was having an egg sale for only 99 cents a carton. When I saw the ad, I immediately thought of Chinese tea eggs. My uncle recently gave me a block of aged Chinese pu-erh tea (普洱茶) and it’s perfect for tea leaf eggs (茶叶蛋). I am a…

Goi Cuon (Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls) with Hoisin Peanut Dipping Sauce Recipe

Goi Cuon (Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls) with Hoisin Peanut Dipping Sauce Recipe

Vietnamese cuisine is gaining popularity in the United States and the world, so today, I invited Todd and Diane of White on Rice Couple to share a delicious Vietnamese recipe with us: Goi Cuon Thit Heo Nuong (generally known as “Goi Cuon”) or Vietnamese fresh spring rolls with a killer hoisin peanut dipping sauce (my personal favorite!). Please welcome White…

Japanese Rolled Omelet (Tamagoyaki)

Japanese Rolled Omelet (Tamagoyaki)

I have gone Japanese food crazy lately. It all started after my recent trip to Tokyo. While I always have food crushes, this time it’s more substantial. I am motivated to learn more about Japanese cuisine and to understand the basic techniques of making Japanese food, precisely Japanese home cooking. My current love affair with Japanese food has gotten me…

Vietnamese Sugar Cane Shrimp (Chao Tom) Recipe

Vietnamese Sugar Cane Shrimp (Chao Tom) Recipe

I’d never tried Vietnamese food before I came to the United States. There was no Vietnamese restaurant in my hometown and Vietnamese cuisine had never crossed my mind. Then, Thai food was the only exotic food I knew. I first tasted Vietnamese food when I was attending graduate school in the Midwest. Stuck in the middle-of-no-where AKA Fargoland, Vietnamese food…

Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe

Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe

Truth be told, I don’t cook as much as you think I do. And, perhaps much to your disbelief, I don’t eat as good as it appears to be. Well, not every day. Like many of you who has a busy and hectic lifestyle, I eat too much unhealthy food, for example: instant noodles or ramen. My pantry is constantly…

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