We’re in the midst of summer right now, and it’s just too hot to be cooking and eating a hot meal. I was craving a salad that was hearty enough to be my dinner, but cool and refreshing to eat in this heat. While not an exact match for any traditional Thai salad, I used…
Tag: white pepper
Saltado de Vegetales
I introduced my boyfriend to Peruvian food and he became obsessed with Saltado de Vegetales, begging me to figure out how to make it at home. The waiter at my favorite Peruvian restaurant informed me that the key is aji amarillo paste. So I acquired some aji amarillo paste and got to work. My boyfriend…
Kabocha Squash with Ground Pork
I love the taste of squash, but it can be hard work to cut, remove the seeds, and peel. Kabocha is one of my favorite squashes because the skin is edible. It’s so much less work when you don’t have to worry about removing the skin, and it makes a hearty and delicious stir-fry with…
Zucchini Stir-Fry with Ground Pork
Zucchini is awesome for stir-fry because it soaks up the flavors of the sauces so well. In this case I just use a handful of sauces and seasonings that I always have on hand. Great for when you need a quick but satisfying weeknight meal. Guessipe olive oil for stir-frying 5 cloves garlic, minced 1…
Lettuce Wraps
I find myself drawn to lettuce wraps when I see them on a restaurant menu. But they’re also pretty easy to make at home, and people are so excited when I serve lettuce wraps. You can pre-assemble them, or just put out all the elements and let people build their own. Interactive dishes are always…
Veggie Bowl with Apple Carrot Dressing
In the last couple years, it seems like “Assemble Your Own Bowl” places have popped up everywhere. It got me thinking that I could buy my own favorite ingredients, whip up a tasty sauce/dressing, and for the price of one restaurant bowl have a large enough quantity to share with friends. My friends immediately declared…
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…
Kimchi Fried Rice
I’m always tempted to get Kimchi Fried Rice when I see it on a menu, but then I remind myself how easy it is to make at home. It’s great for using up leftover rice, and all of the other ingredients are things I pretty much always have on hand. So it’s a perfect weeknight…
Creamy Corn Fish
There was a homestyle Cantonese restaurant my family used to go to, where my favorite dish was fried fish smothered in a creamy corn sauce. When I moved away, I missed this dish so much I decided to recreate it. Guessipe 1 lb light white fish filets, cut into 2-inch pieces 1 tsp salt 1…
Ginger Scallion Steamed Fish
Growing up, one of my absolute favorite things was Chinese steamed fish with ginger and scallions. We would get a whole steamed fish at restaurants, or have a steamed filet at home. This recipe works for either – it just depends how comfortable you are pulling the meat from the skin and bones. While I…
Spicy Eggplant with Pork
Spicy Asian eggplant is a pretty common dish at Chinese restaurants. This is my re-creation of it, with pork added, because what’s good without pig is even better with it. This can be done more simply by skipping the salting, cornstarch coating, and frying of the eggplant – just sautéing it with the pork instead….
Sticky Rice Stuffed Chicken
When I was a kid, my grandma often made sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves. I loved it, but she lived across the country so when I couldn’t get it from her, it would always be one of the items I ordered at dim sum. There was something kind of magical about peeling open the…