Third Time’s the Bubble Waffle Charm

The first time I saw a bubble waffle was in a Hong Kong-style café. My brother and I were eating together, gorging on delicious Chinese food and sipping addictive iced lemon tea. I noticed other patrons ordering a special dessert which looked kinda like a breakfast item. They were getting odd puffy-shaped waffles. Could those really be that different than the regular ol’ type? The second time around, I ate a bubble waffle. I think it was at a night market in Taiwan. When the delicious pastry … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Eggplant with Basil

Eggplant with basil: fried eggplant with aromatic spices I can't believe I haven't blogged about this before, but one of my favorite vegetable dishes involves eggplant. The heady mixture of sweet (brown sugar?) and savory (ginger) always delights me. Although this is often served spicy, I like it only mildly hot and more garlicky. It's usually a beautifully presented dish because of the vivid purple of the eggplant against the earthier tone of the brown sauce. I've tried multiple times to get … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Hummus

One of the favorite things that I whipped up during lockdown was hummus. I usually purchase a tub of it from the grocery store. There's something artistic about creating customized spices for the dip, though. I also like to add in special garnishes like toasted sesame seeds, parsley, or even green onions. Here's a quick recipe: 1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed) 1/4 c olive oil 1/4 c cold water 2 garlic cloves 2 lemons, juiced 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp … [Read more...]

Making Do Around the Kitchen

I've been trying to space out my trips to the grocery store. Instead of running to buy something if I can't find it in my pantry, I'm opting for substitutions. Here are a few examples from around the kitchen: 1. Swapping ingredients Instead of using eggs, I added applesauce to a baking recipe. Yes, you got me! It was banana bread, which is apparently the essential COVID comfort food: https://www.delish.com/food-news/a31931597/coronavirus-banana-bread-baking/ Also, since I ran out … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Stuffed Tomatoes

Stuffed tomatoes: tomato cups filled with savory bread mixture I love oven-roasted tomatoes—or fresh ones in my salad. To make a prettier version of baked tomatoes, though, I decided to stuff them. I think they look like cute edible tomato presents. Ingredients: ¼ cup bread crumbs ¼ cup Parmesan cheese 1 clove garlic, minced Olive oil Ground black pepper Salt Directions: Scoop out insides of tomatoes (I used Campari tomatoes, to make them more bite-sized).Heat … [Read more...]

Wordless Wednesday: Homemade Hummus

[Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Fried Rice

Fried rice: do I really need to explain?   One of my blog readers asked me to put up more posts about my own cooking. The result: this foray into fried rice. It’s been said that fried rice originated because people needed to create an easy meal from leftovers. It's no wonder then that this was the first dish I ever made. (In college, after many years of my mom’s fabulous home cooking, I was sadly forced to fend for myself.) Like my mom and other Chinese cooks out there, I don’t … [Read more...]