Ambitious Deliciousness – Dont Eat Lazy.

For those of you who might not be familiar, Chinese broccoli tastes similar to broccoli, with a hint of bitterness. Chinese broccoli looks like a cross between broccoli and spinach, with stems and a leafy end instead of a flower. Like many Chinese vegetable dishes, it’s easy to prepare yet delicious. I ate this with some brown rice on the side and a fried egg, making it a great weeknight meal for one (or two).

You can also make extra sauce and use the same method to cook other vegetables, such as eggplant, string beans, or even mushrooms. I realize that the dish looks pretty salty, but fear not – the black bean sauce it just making it appear that way.

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You know what’s funny? I don’t eat spare ribs on a regular basis, but whenever I eat ‘em, I have high expectations. My expectations are high, as in, the-ribs-better-fall-off-the-bone so I -don’t-have-to-work-for-it high. Do you share that sentiment when it comes to ribs?

I always thought ribs were super difficult to make, but this recipe from Steamy Kitchen proved me wrong. Dead wrong. In fact, I made ribs about 3 times now, and it’s been perfect every time. In the above picture, the ribs separated when I moved the rack to the plate. The best part: the sauce is only made up of 2 sauces that already live in my fridge door!

Apparently, ribs are camera shy. I was unhappy with the photos from the other two times, so I had to think of a way to make them look yummy. If I had something green in the fridge, I would have added that to the plate. I’ll try that next time.

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This is an update to my older hot and sour soup post. To be honest, I have no idea why I posted a recipe that was missing such an important ingredient. It’s like posting a banana bread recipe without bananas. Like eating a chocolate chip cookie without the chocolate chips. Like going to a Korean restaurant with no kimchi. And I could go on…

Have you cooked with lilybuds before? They resemble fern bracket, which is often used in Korean soups (yook geh jang) and in bibimbap – yet are completely different in flavor. The lilybuds are darker and have a unique flavor. Once you try this soup, you’ll recognize the familiar flavor that is prominent in hot and sour soup. Another important ingredient: Chekiang vinegar, which gives the soup the complex flavor!

This broth is more flavorful, and not translucent – just the way it’s supposed to be. =) Enjoy!

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As I’ve mentioned before, I rang in 2011 with a Chinese themed meal and learned that beef chow fun is an easy dish to make. You can make this with the shrimp dish and your friends will think you’re the most amazing cook ever!

There are two important elements to making good beef chow fun. First, make sure you can get fresh shahe fen noodles. The white noodles will produce the right amount of thin, slippery goodness in this dish. The noodles can be found unrefrigerated in Chinese supermarkets and usually are delivered there fresh daily. But if your situation does not allow you to use the noodles the same day you bought them, simply refrigerate, then use hot water to soften them up when you’re about to cook.

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[Thanks to everyone who entered the rice cooker giveaway! It's not too late to enter. Good luck!=)]

Have you ever been to this Chinese restaurant in NYC called Congee Village? I like ordering a bunch of dishes and sharing, so Congee Village is the perfect place to do just that. My favorite dish there is jumbo prawns with mayo and candied walnuts. The combination of textures and flavors in this dish is awesome, and it makes me so hungry just thinking about it!

On New Year’s Eve, I enjoyed a quiet evening with some friends. We had gone to Congee Village a few weeks prior, so I thought it would be fun to have a Chinese themed dinner. We feasted on hot and sour soup, beef chow fun, watercress sauteed in garlic, spare pork ribs, and my version of the prawns with mayo dish. I’ll post a recipe for beef chow fun a bit later.

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Hello world!

Chinese broccoli has been my favorite vegetable for the past couple of weeks. I bought a pound and ended up using it in three separate dishes. Chinese broccoli has leaves and stems, similar to what you would find in kale, but the flavor is much more subtle. I was really happy with the way this dish came out, and it was so simple and easy to make.

My sister brought back some paprika from the streets of Budapest, and it was bursting with an amazing amount of flavor! The extra kick which complemented the sweetness combined with the garlic flavor so wonderfully.

After the jump (and the recipe), I give you the cookbook winner!

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Upon doing a quick Google search for pork belly, I came across a lot of links that pointed to David Chang’s recipe for pork belly buns.
The recipe I found on Epicurious includes instructions for a big slab of pork belly, as well as instructions for homemade buns.

Since I don’t have a steamer, I was nervous about making the buns myself. So I took the easy way out and bought the fluffy, pillowy buns at the store. And while julienning the cucumbers made for a pretty presentation, cutting them in circles is optimal for getting the cucumber’s crispy texture into every scrumptious bite! I have a feeling that this recipe will be one that I will be making quite often from now on!

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Editor’s Note: An important, updated version of this recipe can be found here.

Before we bid farewell to winter, I wanted to share this simple hot and sour recipe. This is one of my favorite soups to eat whenever I eat Chinese food, which I realize, is not very often. But now that I know how to make it, I can enjoy it anytime I want!

All of the soups I’ve had at restaurants use cornstarch as a thickener. While I don’t mind it, I didn’t want a big pot of gloppy soup so I omitted corn starch. It’s up to you!

I would recommend cooking pork on the frying pan, then deglazing the pan for extra flavor. Sorry to say that I actually ended up omitting a few ingredients that I didn’t have on hand (bamboo shoots, pork, white pepper).

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Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is when a farmer offers a certain number of “shares” to the public. Interested consumers then purchase a share to receive a box of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. The produce is fairly priced, local grown, and in my case, organic.

It’s hard to believe that in a few weeks, I will no longer be receiving fresh vegetables every week! I feel like it went by so quickly but am thankful that I won’t have to when it’s cold outside. It’s been a great experience for the most part; but more on that later!

I received leeks in my CSA share. Whenever I see leeks, I think “oh- it’s a unnaturally humongous scallion.” That’s only partially true, as leeks have a complex flavor, sort of a cross between onions and scallions.

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My Chinese culinary skills are almost non-existent so I thought this would be a good way to practice. I was happy to learn that I could eat this dish and not pass out from the sodium/msg overload.

Let me pause here for a second and say thanks to everyone who has been so encouraging throughout my blogging journey so far! As always, feel free to leave suggestions.

One thing to note – your email addresses that you enter when commenting are not public. And I won’t send you spam; unless it’s the edible kind. :)

2009 is going to be a great year! Happy early new year!

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