Mi Xao Toi Bo (Vietnamese Noodles with Garlic Butter) Maggi Seasoning Sauce 29 Dec 2021 9:28 PM (3 years ago)
Shortly after getting back home, I was still thinking of the simple, but oh so good garlic noodles that I ate at Swamp - San Francisco. Years ago, when I first heard about Crustacean's garlic noodles, I quizzed my friend DP who had eaten there and asked her what she thought was in the dish. Garlic and butter were a given. The saltiness, could it be Maggi Seasoning Sauce, the not-so-secret
Chinese Deep-Fried Chicken Wings with Spicy Salt 29 Jul 2018 1:34 PM (6 years ago)
With how frequently I've dined at Hong Kong cafes through the years, and how often I order Chinese Deep-Fried Chicken Wings with Spicy Salt (*Hint. Almost every time.), I don't know why it took me so long to get around to making them at home. If you like my Chinese Deep-Fried Pork Chops with Spicy Salt recipe, this is even easier. I simply salted the wings, then lightly coated them in just
Easiest Moist Turkey Crispy Skin Recipe - Salt Rub and Baking Powder Turkey 24 Nov 2016 1:47 PM (8 years ago)
This year, with both siblings out of town, I only had eight guests so I decided to splurge and bought a freshly slaughtered turkey from Chinese American Live Poultry - Rosemead, where my family buys fresh chickens for Hainanese chicken rice. The shop ordered 350 turkeys this year, which came in the Monday before Thanksgiving. By the time I made it to the store on Tuesday afternoon, nearly
Pumpkin Pasties with Ground Beef, Onions, and Sage 15 Mar 2016 9:39 PM (9 years ago)
In honor of National Pi Day and the imminent opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood, I couldn't pass up the chance to make proper Harry Potter-inspired Pumpkin Pasties with Ground Beef, Onions, and Sage. I made Pumpkin Fillo Pasties last fall for my Harry Potter-inspired Birthday Party using fresh diced pumpkin, but since pumpkin is no longer in season,
Hong Galbi BBQ House - Los Angeles (Koreatown) 15 Mar 2016 7:57 PM (9 years ago)
I had driven past Hong Galbi BBQ House many times and mentally made a note to check it out some day. So, when Jin of Seeking Food uploaded some yummy-looking pictures of Korean pork ribs, I insisted we go for lunch next time she had a craving. This was not one of the ubiquitous all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue restaurants dotting Koreatown. Not that there's anything wrong with that; as you
Tokyo Fried Chicken Co. - Monterey Park 10 Mar 2016 11:45 AM (9 years ago)
While eating at Hot Pot, Hot Pot! - Monterey Park, I noticed a crowd of people waiting in front of The Open Door, a Japanese fusion izakaya located in the same corner of Atlantic Boulevard and Garvey Avenue. I made a mental note to check it out, but wasn't in any hurry because there was a no photo policy and well, no photos means no point in going, right? Then in August 2013, The Open Door
Dib Iab Ntim Nqaij Hau Ua Kua (Hmong Stuffed Bitter Melon Soup with Ground Pork, Cilantro, and Scallions) 31 Jan 2016 6:16 PM (9 years ago)
In my experiment to Make Bitter Melon Less Bitter, the last recipe I made was Hmong Stuffed Bitter Melon Soup with Ground Pork, Cilantro, and Scallions. Most of the steps were the same as Canh O/Kho Qua Nhoi Thit (Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Soup), except I used cilantro and scallions in place of the vermicelli noodles and tree ear fungus. I also added a few stalks of lemongrass to the
Chinese Bitter Melon Stir-Fry with Ground Pork and Black Bean Sauce 1 Jan 2016 3:09 PM (9 years ago)
While experimenting with several ways to reduce the bitterness of bitter melon, reader Gabriel Ocasio suggested on my Wandering Chopsticks Facebook page to salt the bitter melon and then stir-fry it with black bean sauce. So that's what I did. Perhaps I've been going about this all wrong? Instead of making bitter melon the star of a dish, if I just treated it as any other squash and
Vegetarian Goya Champuru (Okinawan Bitter Melon Stir-Fry with Tofu and Eggs) 1 Jan 2016 3:05 PM (9 years ago)
Ever since my Canh O/Kho Qua Nhoi Thit (Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Soup) recipe, when I found out that some Vietnamese eat bitter melon at the start of the year to signify that the "kho qua" (hardship over in Vietnamese), I've thought it was a quirky little tradition. And while my family calls bitter melon "o qua" so we don't dwell on bitterness, I figured this recipe
Goya Champuru (Okinawan Bitter Melon Stir-Fry with Pork Belly, Tofu, and Eggs) 1 Jan 2016 3:05 PM (9 years ago)
After making Vegetarian Goya Champuru (Okinawan Bitter Melon Stir-Fry with Tofu and Eggs), it was obvious that I needed to make a proper version with pork belly. Oh did I like this version so much better! The unctuousness of the pork belly was absorbed by the tofu and perfectly complemented the bitter melon. I cheated and simply added sliced pork belly to my vegetarian goya
Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Hatch Green Chilies 14 Dec 2015 8:59 AM (9 years ago)
While I love the basic Grilled Cheese Sandwich, especially with a bowl of Cream of Tomato Soup, sometimes it's nice to kick things up a notch. Like a Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Hatch Green Chilies. Perhaps served with Thai-Style Pumpkin Carrot Coconut Curry Soup? Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Hatch Green Chilies For one sandwich, you'll need: 2 slices of bread of your choice A thick
Thai-Style Pumpkin Carrot Coconut Curry Soup 14 Dec 2015 8:33 AM (9 years ago)
Tony of SinoSoul gave me two pumpkins from his garden and I knew just what to do with them. (Actually, they're much closer-looking on the outside to butternut squash, but redder on the inside like pumpkins. And since I already titled the pictures and this post as pumpkin, so they will remain!) I couldn't wait for colder temperatures so that I could indulge in some creamy soups. Not that I
Pho-mplings (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup-Spiced Dumplings) 13 Oct 2015 2:16 AM (9 years ago)
You guys! Why did this not occur to me sooner? A couple of years ago, I had the bright idea of making Pho Burgers, by grinding the spices I used for making Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup) and adding them to ground beef. You'd figure that after making Pho Burgers with Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup Spices and Banh Mi Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup-Spiced Sandwiches), it would have
Chinese Kung Pao Shrimp 12 Oct 2015 6:31 PM (9 years ago)
A few days after making Chinese Kung Pao Chicken, I got a craving again for the spicy, slightly sour taste of the dish. And while kung pao chicken is my preference, it takes a little longer to cook than shrimp. Plus, I had frozen shrimp on hand so any recipe that avoids having to leave the house wins hands down. But since it was late at night when I originally made the recipe, the photos
Italian Shrimp Scampi Low Carb Zucchini "Noodles" 17 Jul 2015 6:46 PM (9 years ago)
I'm not sure what sparked my craving for shrimp scampi, but I couldn't get the buttery, lemony shrimp pasta dish out of my mind. I've been trying to eat healthier though, so figured I could experiment with some zucchini noodles. Now, if you have a Zoodle Slicer or a Veggetti or whatever, this would go a lot faster, but I found julienning the zucchini worked just fine. It was actually quite
Chinese Deep-Fried Pork Ribs with Honey Vinegar Sauce 28 May 2015 2:35 AM (9 years ago)
After eating the deep-fried honey garlic pork ribs at King Hua Restaurant - Alhambra, I wanted to try recreating it at home. Lightly batter and fry if you wish, but I decided to just deep fry until the pork got crispy instead. The ribs were then tossed with honey, vinegar, and soy sauce. I was out of garlic and dusted the ribs with sesame seeds instead. The key is to adjust the honey and
Singaporean Chilli Crabs 10 May 2015 10:45 AM (9 years ago)
I already had my menu set to make Chinese Deep-Fried Chicken Wings with Spicy Salt and Vegetarian Goya Champuru (Okinawan Bitter Melon Stir-Fry with Tofu and Eggs) before my dad left town. But, when I went to the grocery store and saw crab on sale for $4.99 a pound, I had to include the addition of Singaporean Chilli Crabs. In preparation for my trip later this year, I bookmarked a bunch of
Homemade Dandelion Wine 10 Mar 2015 12:20 AM (10 years ago)
Ever since I read "Dandelion Wine" by Ray Bradbury long ago, I've been intrigued by the novelty of making wine out of dandelions. Would it taste like summer? Like liquid sunshine? I had forgotten about it until I dined at Creekside Grille - Wilson Creek Winery - Temecula. While reading about the beginnings of the winery, the brochure mentioned that Rosie Wilson, the family matriarch, used to
Taiwanese Minced Pork Rice 20 Jan 2015 8:53 AM (10 years ago)
On days when I'm too lazy to cook much, but I want something comforting, I often turn to a quick rice bowl for dinner. I almost always have ground pork in the freezer for just such instances. Whenever I go to the Asian grocery store, I buy a pound of ground pork, and if I don't have any plans to cook with it immediately, just stick it in the freezer. Ground pork is a staple in my kitchen
Lagman (Uzbek Lamb Noodle Soup) 11 Dec 2014 11:23 PM (10 years ago)
My first encounter with Lagman (Uzbek Lamb Noodle Soup) was at the now defunct Uzbekistan - Los Angeles. At the time, I dismissed it as a basic beef stew with similar Chinese noodles. Seven years later, after having explored other Central Asian cuisines, I hope I've become less cavalier of other cuisines in general, but of Central Asian cuisines in particular. I try to place new cuisines
The Lobster Shanty - Salem - Massachusetts 8 Nov 2014 8:56 PM (10 years ago)
I had a bunch of miles that were expiring soon and with an open invitation from Gourmet Pigs to come out for a visit, decided to do just that for my birthday since I hadn't gone on a big trip in a while. Five days after I booked my flight, she received a media invite to Sacramento to tour a cattle ranch. Could I change my ticket? Not without incurring a hefty change fee. Plus, I wanted to
Wynotts Wands - Salem - Massachusetts 8 Nov 2014 10:03 AM (10 years ago)
While on our loop around Salem, second-oldest nephew pointed out Wynotts Wands, makers of fine wands since 1692 (not really). After all, if Salem is capitalizing on its notoriety for witchcraft, stands to reason that someone would cash in on wizardry and Harry Potter. Butter beer anyone? Actually, it's Flying Cauldron Butterscotch Beer, neither it, nor Wynotts Wands, is affiliated with Harry
Ye Olde Pepper Companie (America's Oldest Candy Company) - Salem - Massachusetts 3 Nov 2014 9:17 AM (10 years ago)
After grabbing a quick breakfast at Red Line Cafe - Salem - Massachusetts, second-oldest nephew and his friend and I headed to the waterfront. After a spin around the House of the Seven Gables and the house in which Nathaniel Hawthorne was born, we headed across the street to Ye Olde Pepper Companie, which opened in 1806 and is America's oldest candy company. A chance to get some edible
"Bewitched" Statue - Salem - Massachusetts 28 Oct 2014 8:09 AM (10 years ago)
As second-oldest nephew and I walked back from Lobster Shanty - Salem - Massachusetts, we passed by the "Bewitched" statue of Elizabeth Montgomery. There had been a steady line of people all evening, waiting to take pictures with the TV witch, but at this bewitching hour, no one was around. A statue of a fictional witch in a town known for executing real-life "witches"? Tacky and insensitive
Red Line Cafe - Salem - Massachusetts 28 Oct 2014 8:09 AM (10 years ago)
Why are you waking me up at 6 a.m.? I groaned to second-oldest nephew when he asked what time I wanted to get up. Still operating on West Coast time, he had plugged the meter for the car when I had promptly turned off my alarm and continued sleeping. By the time I finally got up, the breakfast restaurants that I had bookmarked had lines out the door. It's high season in Salem! Tons of people