Garlic Noodles

Years ago a friend took me to a Southeast Asian restaurant that had the most incredible garlic noodles I have ever eaten. When these garlic noodles were brought to our table, they looked like the plainest bowl of noodles you could imagine, but then I had a bite and was treated to such tantalizingly garlicky…

Garlic Chili Noodles

My friend gave me a jar of homemade chili oil. A few days later I found myself in a food pinch – scrounging around in the pantry to see what I could use to whip up a meal. I came across a package of rice vermicelli and that jar of chili oil, added a few…

Japchae

Japchae is a Korean dish that uses noodles made from sweet potato starch. I love the flavor and texture so much that I eat it at AYCE Korean BBQ, even though I should be getting my money’s worth with the meats instead of filling up on noodles! It usually has beef in it, but I…

Fun See

This is a really simple dish made of bean thread noodles that my family ate a ton when I was growing up, probably because it is so quick to make using ingredients we usually had in the house. Guessipe 1 package (10.5 oz) bean thread noodles 2 eggs oil for stir-frying 1 TBSP soy sauce…

Canton Noodles

Canton noodles are dried Chinese noodles that are great to keep in the pantry for when you need to throw a meal together quickly – they don’t even require boiling separately. And you can use up whatever vegetables you have (I make some suggestions below). Guessipe Olive oil for sautéing 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs,…

Pad Thai

Pad Thai is so yummy, and pretty easy to make at home. Aside from the bean sprouts, I typically have all of the ingredients on hand. So I can dash out to buy some bean sprouts, toss this dish together, and happily go to town on a giant bowl of noodles. You can also include…

Pad See Ew

While Pad Thai is probably the most known Thai noodle dish in the US, I actually prefer Pad See Ew. It uses fresh wide rice noodles, which have a fantastic soft chewiness and also get crispy caramelized edges when cooked over high heat in the sauce. Guessipe 2 lbs fresh wide rice noodles peanut oil…

Spicy Sweet Cabbage and Noodles

This spicy sweet noodle dish is a great side dish, but also hearty enough to be a main course. You could add fried tofu or your favorite meat to make it even more robust. I love meat, but when I’m in a pinch and don’t have any on hand, this dish still does the trick….

Garlic & Chives Restaurant Review

Gold Dig #62 There are typically a handful of Orange County spots that make Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants list, and Garlic and Chives is one of them. There is always some debate among followers of Jonathan Gold about whether or not he should be including these restaurants on his list, as the OC is…

Kimchi Beef Dumplings

Cookbook Club – Hey There, Dumpling! For March’s Cookbook Club, we used Hey There, Dumpling! by Kenny Lao. I made the Kimchi Beef Dumplings. You can see the whole dumpling and dipping sauce mix and match extravaganza on my Cookbook Club site. For now – my dish! The kimchi beef dumplings caught my eye because…

Little Sister Restaurant Review

Gold Dig #51 Little Sister is one of the few south bay establishments to make Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants list. It is on one of the main Manhattan Beach streets filled with beachy chic spots overlooking the ocean and catering to crowds of relaxed, sun-kissed folks who all look like they’ve just come from…

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Whenever I go out for Vietnamese food, I like to start my meal with Vietnamese Spring Rolls. They are fresh and crunchy, and a great vehicle for yummy dipping sauce. I learned from a Vietnamese friend that they’re actually pretty straightforward to make. The hardest part is getting the hang of working with the moistened…