It was a long time ago now that I first discovered the epic, umami-laden combination that is butter and soy sauce. I first tried it in a Japanese restaurant in New Jersey, of all places, when I was still in high school and didn’t like sushi (*gasp!*). Eschewing all of the raw fish on the menu,
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Life & Travel
Clams seem to go hand-in-hand with summer, and we have gone way too long on this blog without dishes involving bivalves! These clams in black bean sauce were so good; I know Judy has a particular weakness for them. We haven’t had a good black bean recipe yet either so this should cover at least
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In China–Beijing especially, it seems, you’ll see a lot of things served with bread–pillowy soft steamed buns, doughy pancakes, and small hollowed-out bread “cups” that you can fill up with meat and vegetable fillings. Yes, here in China, the carb fest extends far beyond just rice and noodles. In the spirit of blissful carbohydrate intake–with a
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This noodle soup with pork and pickled greens (xuecai rousi mian / 雪菜肉丝面)is one of my absolute favorites. It’s an easy, satisfying comfort food meal in Chinese households everywhere, where all you need is a few items from your pantry. My grandmother used to make this for lunch when she’d come to visit, and now it’s
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Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce, or “fish fragrant eggplant” (yuxiang qiezi) is a familiar dish in many American Chinese restaurants and buffets these days, but it’s also a dish with many authentic variations in China, and we’re long overdue on sharing our version of this much-loved classic. In most cases, Chinese restaurants make this Chinese eggplant with garlic
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We weren’t being witty or anything with the word “drool-worthy” in the title of this recipe. In fact, the Chinese name of this chicken dish is “kou shui ji” which literally translates to “saliva chicken.” Okay so to an English speaker looking at a menu here in China and seeing that very Chinglish-y menu translation, they might
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Roast duck pizza–fancy schmancy, snooty, celebrity chef material? Or easy to make at home? I’ll give you one guess… Speaking of celebrity chefs, I was watching an episode of Jamie at Home a couple weeks ago–the pizza episode, and yes, I did get this sudden urge to dress some fresh greens, whack ’em over a piping
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Ok, so this one may sound a little complicated, but it’s really quite simple, and probably best cake I’ve had all summer. It’s a cake that—with vibrant fresh fruit, semolina, and extra virgin olive oil—conjures images of peaceful orchards and sun-soaked rooftops. Greece? Italy? A faraway somewhere I’d like to be right now. This is my first
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