Braised Squash

Well, it’s almost fall, even in Southern California – we’re starting to see more winter-type squashes appearing at the farmer’s market, incluing the Japanese kabochas, which it seems you almost need an axe to open! This recipe can be made with most types of winter squash, kabochas. acorns and butternuts all work really well, as do pumpkins. [...]

More maintenance…and your chance to pipe up!

No new posts tomorrow, August 30, as I will be setting up my new computer (and overseeing a nine-year-old’s birthday bash).
I see from the blog stats that Eggplant in Garlic Sauce is by far the most frequently viewed post so far – instead of me writing for you tomorrow, how about you post a comment listing [...]

Stirfried Mixed Vegetables

Originally called “Ten Fragrant Vegetables,” this dish calls for some ingredients that you may not have readily available, such as dried lily flowers, wood-ears, and pickled mustard tubers. If you have access to an Asian market or have a truly superior Asian section in you conventional grocery store, you may find these ingredients – if [...]

Fish Slices with Tomatoes

This is a tweak of an old recipe for fish slices in a tomato sauce – the original recipe tastes a bit like sweet and sour fish and involves ketchup. With summer tomatoes filling the market stands, though, I thought the recipe deserved an upgrade and an update! I dislike the tendency in Chinese recipes [...]

“The cost of steak”

Taking a quick detour from recipes to discuss (rant about?) ingredients today! When you choose ingredients for your cooking, are you bent on finding a bargain? Do you take into consideration the hidden costs of the ingredients you are happy to get at “bargain” prices (do those prices even exist any more?)?
In the August 23 [...]

Lotus Leaf Buns

A nice variation on the plain Steamed Buns – the result looks a little like a Chinese croissant! You can take this recipe a step further and add a filling to the bun when you fold it over (sweet or savory would work) – just be sure not to add too much, or it will [...]

Steamed Buns with Sugar

This is simple recipe for buns that you can make ahead and freeze, then quickly steam to reheat – served with a little warm soy milk, it’s a great quick breakfast for kids (of all ages) on cold mornings. The kids can also get involved in the making of the buns – no intricate coordination [...]

Blog maintenance…

Working on some maintenance issues today – back tomorrow (if not sooner) with a new post!

Tomato Salad

This recipe is not really Chinese, but with summer tomatoes in abundance, it seems absolutely right here! If you have a garden or a farmers’ market nearby, this recipe is perfect for using up those gorgeous “take me home and eat me now” tomatoes. If you buy tomatoes at a conventional grocery, make sure they [...]

Stirfried Beef with Onions

I like to think of myself as a Michael Pollan vegetarian – this quote from him is my motto: “Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.” As you can probably tell by the recipes on this blog, I tend toward vegetarianism – not complete, and certainly not veganism (love that cheese a bit too [...]