Chinese-Style Portobello Mushroom Buns
by Diana on February 8, 2012
You know those steamed pork belly buns that seem to be everywhere in New York now, from the Momofuku restaurants to Baohaus to your neighborhood ramen place? The ones that more or less descended from Taiwanese gua bao and Japanese kakuni buns? I can practically live off these perfectly portable and juicy specimens. But in the interest of having normal cholesterol levels, I don’t.
I had some leftover buns from making pork belly buns last week for my cookbook, so I decided to try a vegetarian alternative that won’t leave me in a food coma after a weekday lunch. Portobello mushrooms make excellent burger fillings, so why wouldn’t the meaty mushrooms be equally fine as with Chinese buns? Another bonus over pork belly is that they take about 1/5 the cooking time, just 6 or 7 minutes in the pan. I used a simpler braising liquid than I would normally use for pork belly — rice wine, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce — and topped it off with shredded scallions and peanuts, like I do for Taiwanese-style pork belly buns. Read the full article →
Tagged as: Appetizers, Recipes, Snacks, Vegetarian
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Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice
by Diana on January 27, 2012
Remember my Thai Basil Sangria post from a couple months ago, in which I became excited by the prospect of being able to grow herbs indoors during the winter? Well, that excitement might have been premature.
In early November sun was still streaming in through the windows for 8+ hours a day. It was still warm enough that I was able to crack open the window to let in fresh air. Not anymore, on both accounts. And my window plants, consequently, have been fading, even with religious watering.
All my herbs, including the Thai basil plant that was so lively before, are nearing the end. So for lunch one day, I decided to use up as much of it as possible while it was still somewhat healthy. I didn’t want to trek to the store to pick up curry paste, so this Thai basil chicken fried rice was the answer. And it made me wonder why I didn’t make fried rice with Thai basil more often. I used up not only most of the basil but also some leftover chicken in the fridge. Best of all, I spent only 5 minutes in front of the stove for a very tasty lunch.
I still have a bit of Thai basil left. Let’s see…what else to make with it, other than more sangrias? Read the full article →
Tagged as: Chicken, Recipes, Rice, Thai
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Shrimp and Chive Dumplings
by Diana on January 23, 2012
Happy Chinese New Year! Over the weekend, I celebrated by guest chef-ing at Ted and Amy Supper Club in Brooklyn. We served a four-course meal for 14 people: shrimp and chive dumplings, watercress and mushroom noodle soup, red-cooked chicken with chestnuts, and for dessert, homemade black sesame ice cream with almond cookie crumble. Even I left in a food coma, and I had spent most of the day running around.
(Clockwise from top left: 1) Black sesame ice cream with almond cookie crumble, 2) Kara setting up beforehand, 3) Dinner underway, 4) Four tables long!)
It has been a while since I’ve featured a dumpling recipe on this site, so on Saturday afternoon, in the midst of preparing for the dinner, I pan-fried some extra dumplings for lunch and snapped a few photos. Read the full article →
Tagged as: Appetizers, Chinese, Dumplings, Recipes, Seafood, Shrimp
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Favorite Chinese New Year Dishes
January 20, 2012[Clockwise from top left: Lucky Nectarines (not a recipe, just a fun find), Pea and Shiitake Dumplings, Scallion Pancakes, Braised Chicken with Chestnuts] Monday, January 23 marks the beginning of Chinese New Year. Which means celebrations start this weekend, including traditional New Year’s Eve feasts on Sunday night. As for me, I’ll be cooking up [...]
Tagged as: Recipes
Read the full article →Earl Grey Shortbread for Gojee Potluck
January 18, 2012Sometimes I bake late at night as a way to wind down after a long day of work in front of the computer. Mostly chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies, but sometimes pies, if I’m feeling a bit ambitious. (We’re talking 10:30 or 11pm, after all.) Yes, there are countless nutritionists who’ll tell you that [...]
Tagged as: Cookies, Dessert, Recipes, Tea
Read the full article →Mapo Tofu
January 12, 2012Many of you loved the mapo tofu recipe I first posted in March 2008. Since then, I’ve taught the dish many times in cooking classes, which allowed me to revise it here and streamlined the process. After all these years, it’s still a crowd-pleaser. Make it for one of those nights when you want a [...]
Tagged as: Chinese, Pork, Recipes, Sichuan, Spicy, Tofu
Read the full article →Chinese New Year Dinner, Jan 21st
January 12, 2012When I was a kid, Chinese New Year was my second favorite holiday, right behind Christmas. Merely a month after all the December gifts and festivities, as kids we would get not only lucky red envelopes full of spending money but also two weeks of huge feasts and dim sum outings. What could be better? [...]
Tagged as: Classes, Events
Read the full article →Chinese Almond Chicken
January 5, 2012I don’t know what it is about chicken and nuts, but they seem to go perfectly together. Other than pork with peanuts, no other meat gets the same natural pairing, at least with whole nuts. There’s a well-known chicken dish for just about every kind of nut out there, from Kung Pao chicken to chicken [...]
Tagged as: Chicken, Chinese, Recipes
Read the full article →Dumplings and Wontons Class, Jan 15th
January 2, 2012Happy new year, everyone! Now that the December holidays are over, I’m gearing up for Chinese New Year with some new classes and events for January. The first for this month is a Dumplings and Wontons class on Sunday, January 15th in SoHo. Cold January weekends are meant for being indoors, trying out new cooking [...]
Tagged as: Classes, Events
Read the full article →Japanese Braised Pork Belly (Buta no Kakuni)
December 28, 2011Since we’re now officially deep into winter, I’d like to re-share a recipe for Japanese pork belly, or buta no kakuni. Really, there are few things that are better on a cold day than a bubbling pot of braised pork belly and its aroma of of ginger, scallions, star anise, and sweetened soy sauce altogether. [...]
Tagged as: Japanese, Pork, Recipes
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