Soy Sauce Chicken is a beloved Chinese dish that you’ve probably seen before hanging in a Chinatown restaurant window somewhere. We have a recipe for the traditional version of soy sauce chicken, which is ridiculously delicious, but in my dad’s attempt to nail down a superior flavor and look, his recipe is a bit time […]
Lao Gan Ma Noodles & The Godmother of The Godmother Sauces
If you have never heard of The Godmother’s Chili Crisp Sauce or The Godmother’s Black Bean Sauce, get out from under your rock because you are MISSING OUT. Simply put, everyone who has tried her sauces is hooked. We’ve mentioned these Lao Gan Ma (“The Godmother”) sauces here and there in recipe posts over the […]
Shanghai Style Pork Zongzi (Sticky Rice Dumplings)
Zongzi, or sticky rice dumplings, are almost like a Chinese version of the tamale––sticky rice is wrapped in bamboo leaves with other fillings, and steamed. I’ll be using both the Chinese word “zongzi” and the term “sticky rice dumpling” interchangeably in this article! The major difference between Shanghai Style Pork Zongzi (上海肉粽子) and Cantonese Style […]
Cantonese Steamed Milk Egg Pudding (双皮奶)
If you’re sitting there wondering what this Cantonese Steamed Milk Egg Pudding (双皮奶 – shuang pi nai) tastes like, I would describe it almost like a Chinese version of Creme Brulee, but without the crunchy sugar top. In fact, if you WERE to torch some sugar on top of this Hong-Kong-style custard, I bet you […]
Dongbei Guo Bao Rou (Crispy Sweet & Sour Pork)
This Dongbei Guo Bao Rou (东北鍋包肉) looks and sounds distant to many. The lighter color of the finished dish may also seem curious compared to our typical dark soy sauce braised dishes or brightly colored Chinese takeout recipes. You’ll also notice that there’s no English translation here. As I see it, Guo Bao Rou is […]
21 One-Pot Meals to Please Picky Eaters
If you’re here it means you suffer from picky eaters in your life, and you need some quick and easy options to shut them up and feed them with minimal hassle. We’ve rounded up 21 one-pot (bonus!) meals to please even the pickiest people. Growing up, being picky about food was not an option. You […]
Chinese Rib Tips: Fall Apart Tender Takeout-Style
Today I’m going into full dad mode to educate you all about pork rib tips––as in the cut of meat and my recipe for fall-part tender, Chinese Takeout Style Pork Rib Tips! Pork rib tips are a less common cut of the pork rib, but are one of the best kept secrets of Chinese cooking! […]
Weeknight “Slop” (Rice with Eggs, Avocado & Chili)
Weeknight slop. That caught your attention didn’t it? Yes, you read that right. It’s my go-to weeknight recipe. Faithful, tried, and true. This is not a recipe that is search engine optimized. It is not a recipe that is particularly pretty. It is not going to win you effusive compliments with the dinner party set. […]
Dry Fried Sichuan Beef
In our family, I’m notoriously finicky when it comes to eating out. Maybe I’m a tiger mom when it comes to most restaurants out there, but I find that a lot of them just serve mediocre food! Dry Fried Sichuan Beef (干煸牛肉, gan bian niu rou) is a great example of that. Too often, it’s […]
Braised Chinese Vegan Chicken
Chinese vegan chicken, 素鸡 is a soy product. It’s not as popular as tofu, but it’s always been tofu’s neighbor on your Asian grocery shelf––it’s just not as recognizable to most people. I bet you’ve seen it but just didn’t know how to “handle” it. Vegan chicken is actually one of my mother’s favorite things […]
Stir-fried Watercress: A Healthy Leafy Green Vegetable
Watercress (西洋菜,sai yeung choi in Cantonese or xī yáng cài in Mandarin), is a super healthy vegetable often overlooked at the market because people don’t know how to prepare it. Making this stir-fried watercress at home is an easy, delicious, and healthy way to change up the vegetables on your dinner table. Watercress is rich […]
What to do for Mother’s Day
What to do for Mother’s Day? It’s just two days until Sunday, and you may be asking yourself this question (and if you haven’t yet–maybe you SHOULD be!!!). It’s a big conundrum, especially for a holiday that’s meant to celebrate the woman in your life who may have already swatted away your offers to buy […]
Dry Pot Cauliflower
Dry Pot Cauliflower is a restaurant favorite that we’ve had countless times in China. It’s our vegetable of choice when eating out. You might think it sounds boring, but we discovered that cauliflower can be amazingly delicious with a little spice, saltiness and the addition of pork belly. There is a reason why this dish […]
One Pot Rice Cooker Rice with Dace Fish
These days, we’re always looking for easier ways to get a satisfying dinner on the table, and Bill recently challenged me to do another quick and easy rice cooker recipe, akin to our Rice Cooker Ribs and Rice (kind of a one-time success that we never tried to repeat). Thinking about ways to use our […]
Thai Chili Sauce Chicken Stir-fry
Thai Chili Sauce, or nam prik pao, is a common ingredient in Thai cooking. A little bit spicy, a little bit sweet, it also has a savory umami flavor that comes from the addition of shrimp. This Thai chili sauce is so flavorful and delicious that we’ve been guilty of eating it straight out of […]
Ultimate Braised Tofu
Braised tofu––using silken tofu that’s first fried and then braised––is a dish usually enjoyed at a Chinese restaurant, because most people are a bit intimidated by the idea of making it at home. While it’s not quite as easy as some of our other tofu dishes (like this simple beef tofu stir-fry for instance), it […]
25 Last Minute Meals
We’ve all been there. You gotta eat and you gotta eat NOW. Buuut you you didn’t wake up at the crack of dawn, you didn’t soak the beans like you were supposed to overnight, you didn’t marinate the meat in advance, heck you haven’t even been to the grocery store in weeks… You need some shortcuts––last […]
Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry
Sha Cha Sauce (沙茶酱) is really underrated, and I’m not sure why. Often labeled on its packaging as “Chinese BBQ Sauce” in English, sha cha sauce is a mixture of shallots, garlic, dried shrimp, fish, and chilies that may not exactly sound all that appetizing, but when combined together in whatever magical process they use […]
Red Curry Noodles with Chicken
The star of these red curry noodles? Thai red curry paste. These little cans of magic can single-handedly pack a flavor punch in any meat, vegetable, or noodle dish you can dream up. Which is great, because you can get that delightfully exotic red curry flavor without the trouble of finding all of the obscure […]
Chairman Mao’s Red Braised Pork Belly
Today, I’m sharing a recipe for Chairman Mao’s Red Braised Pork Belly. While the recipe for Shanghai Braised Pork Belly is admired by many, I think it’s time to expand upon it. Many of you have inquired about adding aromatics like scallions, ginger, garlic, and spices like star anise. I resisted a bit, because I […]
Our Top Picks for Quick and Easy Noodle Soups
Today we have a roundup of some of our favorite quick and easy noodle soup recipes from the blog. Growing up, my mom’s noodle soup repertoire covered just a couple of basic variations of noodle soup that would show up on the dinner table on busy days and for light lunches. If we craved anything […]
Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup: In an Instant Pot or On the Stove
Today we have two really really exciting things to talk about. Thing #1: Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup, a recipe that has long weighed on our minds. Thing #2: Instant Pot and the start of our journey with this beloved and much-hyped kitchen sensation. First, Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. It’s delicious–tender beef, a rich and slightly […]
Red Curry Tofu (A Vegan Recipe!)
This red curry tofu recipe was born of 1. conversations I have with people in my everyday life who tell me that when they look at our blog, they go directly to the “Quick and Easy” section and 2. the response to our recent roundup of Traditional Chinese Vegan Recipes, which told me that ya’ll definitely […]
Spam Fried Rice
Yes, today we are serving up Spam Fried Rice. It’s a rare turn of events on a blog where our most illicit pork products are lard, and maybe bacon. But, the day has come… Let’s! Talk! About! SPAM! Spam is a polarizing food for many out there. That pale pink cube of meat (is it […]
Hawaiian Mac Salad
Hawaiian Mac Salad is the cornerstone of a good “plate lunch,” i.e. a bed of rice, a scoop of mac salad, and a heaping serving of a meat dish like lau lau, kalua pork, or huli huli chicken. In other words, it’s a peak highlight of Hawaii’s food scene (with the exception, perhaps of the […]
Steamed Crystal Dumplings, a Dim Sum Classic
Crystal dumplings (水晶饺子, shuǐ jīng jiǎozi) got their name from the beautiful translucent look of the dumpling wrappers. Although not quite as common or popular as crowd favorite, har gow shrimp dumplings, you’ll see these beauties on carts in restaurants with a bigger selection of dim sum. Delightfully chewy and delicate in flavor, you’ll want […]
Beef Vegetable Stir-Fry
This Beef Vegetable Stir-Fry is one of those quick and easy dishes that you can throw together in minutes if you prepare properly ahead of time. Tender beef, crunchy vegetables, and that perfectly flavored sauce you expect from really solid Chinese food (the right amount and the right consistency!) make this stir-fry an ideal weeknight […]
Coconut Peanut Mochi (Nuo Mi Ci – 糯米糍)
Asians love glutinous rice desserts, and one of the most recognizable is mochi. Gluten-Free, Vegan and just plain tasty, it’s no wonder that this Peanut Mochi with Coconut, or Nuo Mi Ci (糯米糍) is so popular. Peanut Mochi, also called Luo Mai Chee in Cantonese, is just one of many ingenious mochi combinations out there. […]
Spicy Stir-fried Rice Cakes
As food bloggers, we’re constantly looking for new ideas for recipes. One of our best methods of gaining inspiration? Going out and trying new things to eat! That’s how I got the idea for today’s recipe––Spicy Stir-fried Rice Cakes. Rice cakes are one of my favorite ingredients. If you’ve never had them, they’re basically little […]
Chinese Watercress Soup with Pork Ribs (Sai Yeung Choy Tong)
Chinese Watercress Soup with Pork Ribs was a staple at our house growing up. For me, picking wild watercress with my mom was my first memory of enjoying sai yeung choy tong (this is the Cantonese transliteration––it’s xī yáng cài tang 西洋菜汤 in Mandarin). When I was a kid, we lived in a small […]