Chinese Rice Puffs

Chinese rice puffs (a.k.a. sachima): rectangular pastry cakes with almost braided layers I remember eating these as a kid. They've also been called Chinese Rice Krispies, but the consistency is totally different. It's not chewy or gooey and has a soft, pillowy texture (especially on the inside). The exterior is golden or golden brown (and can be fried). Some cooks will add surprises to the mix: sesame seeds, raisins, or dried coconut. The pastry squares aren't too sweet. Fun fact: … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Lychee Ice

Lychee ice: slushie drink made with lychee fruit I’m clinging onto the last days of summer and fighting off the heat with cool drinks like this. Lychee is one of my favorite fruits (although I do prefer the similar-tasting longan more). Supposedly, you shouldn’t eat too many lychees at a time. I grew up categorizing Chinese foods into warm, cool, and neutral. The lychee fruit is warming. When overeaten, it can cause negative side effects—like nosebleeds. I haven’t experienced that … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Bird’s Nest Soup

Bird's nest soup: Broth made using the saliva of birds Bird's nest soup is a delicacy. It can cost a fortune to obtain the saliva that makes up the nest of these special birds. The bird is a swiftlet, a type of swallow. It lives in coastal caves in Southeast Asia. People nowadays also farm these birds to obtain the nests. Bird's nest must be soaked overnight to properly cook. The next day, it is made into a simple broth, often with just the addition of a bit of rock sugar. Hailed for its … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Siu Mai

Siu mai: dim sum dumplings, usually filled with meat I can’t believe I haven’t food blogged about this before. Siu mai is a staple of the dim sum cart. The dumplings are quite distinctive because of the pleated edges that decorate their tops. Usually, these dumplings are filled with ground pork, and possibly shrimp. A few other ingredients like mushrooms and scallions round out the flavor. Like other steamed dumplings, the layer of dough is very thin, so it’s the taste of the … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Chocolate-Covered Fortune Cookies

Chocolate-covered fortune cookies: sweeter fortunes! I couldn't pass these up. They taste like you would imagine; the chocolate enhances the natural sweetness of the fortune cookie. The ones I tried came in two flavors: milk chocolate and white chocolate. (I'm not really a fan of the latter, though.) It's a lovely dessert treat. You get the yumminess of chocolate and still get to read a fortune! Fun fact: My preference for fortune cookies goes way back. See the bottom of the right-side … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Sweet Duck

Sweet duck: a more sugared-up version of roast duck I admit it. I’m a big duck fan. Ever since I saw the glistening displays in Chinese barbecue shops, I’ve been a sucker for duck. In fact, I’ve posted about roast duck before. Recently, though, I had a sweeter version. The dish was actually called sweet duck. It featured a glaze on top of the skin, a slight subtle honey flavor. Even though the components were the same (tender meat, crispy skin), it didn’t quite compete with the traditional … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Szechwan braised pork

It's been a long time since I've gone for hot and spicy. With the cold and wet weather outside, though, I braved the fiery food. Szechwan braised pork: saucy pork belly Okay, so this actually was one of the dishes without a red hot chili pepper next to its name. The plus part? Lots of tender meat. The minus? Loads of fat. It was too greasy for my taste actually, but it's packed full of umami flavor. Here's a recipe for it. … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Lobster Noodles

Lobster noodles: Lobster meat with long noodles This is a gratuitous foodie picture. Yes, long noodles signify longevity. You can find this dish (with or without the lobster) at birthday parties and New Year feasts. The taste is what you would expect--tender lobster over gravied mein. However, I liked the visual aspect of the dish the most. There's something striking about the vibrant red of the seafood against the more subtle tones of the noodles. What symbolic foods do you eat? … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Fried Taro Puffs

Fried taro puffs: steamed taro with crunchy exterior Taro puffs may not be the healthiest choice on the dim sum menu, but they're quite tasty! I love the contrast of the two textures. Inside, there's the nice steamed mash of taro root (usually combined with pork and mushrooms). Outside, there's the crisp exterior with crunchy strands. If you'd love to make your own batch, here's a recipe for them. … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Almond Cookie

Almond cookie: shortbread type of cookie with almond flavor As a kid, we used to buy a box of these from the local Asian store. Those almond cookies were crisp and featured a red almond in the center. (The color of fortune? I don't know, but after one of my kids reacted to the food coloring, I skipped to getting more natural-looking cookies.) I once tried to make them in college for lunar new year or some sort of celebration, but failed. I couldn't get the proper buttery flavor. (Key … [Read more...]