Foodie Friday: Taro Mochi Bun

The first time I ever saw a taro plant was in Hawaii. I think I re-read the sign twice to check the name placard. I didn’t realize that the plant had such huge, broad leaves! I guess I mainly thought of taro as that nutty but sweet root vegetable. In my life, I’ve heard ube and taro get swapped around a lot. But they’re different root vegetables. Ube is much sweeter and richer. While they both have dull brown exteriors, ube often has purple flesh. This vibrant color adds much pizzazz to … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Bò né

I'm a breakfast gal. Sometimes I'll even swap another meal with breakfast. I mean, there's brunch...and then there's brinner, right? I like a good fan tuan rice roll for breakfast, but recently I also tried Vietnamese Bò né. I didn't know what the dish was, but it sounded cool. Apparently, it's steak and eggs done Vietnamese-style. Bò né means "dodging beef" because the steak comes out on a piping hot skillet--and you'd need to dodge the butter or oil. Of course, it's been tastily … [Read more...]

Goobne Chicken

I'm a sucker for fried chicken. I even had a cousin who worked for Kentucky Fried Chicken (discount, anyone?). Recently, though, I've had friends tell me about the original KFC: yes, Korean Fried Chicken. I also love this version. What I like is that they're usually smaller drumettes I can enjoy. They've also got a delicious marinade--something garlicky, soy saucey, and spicy (if you prefer). I've been hearing about roasted Korean fried chicken, so I thought I'd check out Goobne. To be … [Read more...]

Foodie Friday: Chowdah

One of my favorite soups is clam chowder. Maybe because it reminds of the sea because I loved the ocean but grew up in landlocked Central California. Or perhaps since I liked those cute oyster crackers. I have fond memories of going to San Francisco and enjoying chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. Once, I even wrote down a recipe from a cooking show to create homemade chowder. It was very tasty but took a long time to make. After that experience, I opted to get gourmet versions from … [Read more...]

Mustache Pretzels

I’m a fan of the soft pretzel. Sure, I like crunchy pretzels to munch on for snacking, but I have the fondest memories of soft pretzels. I think it all stems from a school trip I took to the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Using some spending money, I bought and devoured my very first soft pretzel—it was fabulous. I’m still hard-pressed to beat that initial savory taste. Growing up, I sometimes went to the local mall and browsed. The alluring scent from Auntie Anne’s would often follow me … [Read more...]

Omu-Rice

Several years ago, I visited Japan. We went to some amazing sights, including the iconic Kinkaku-ji or Golden Pavilion in Kyoto: I also highly recommend the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo, especially for fans of Miyazaki: Per my usual travel aspirations, I explored the food around me. The variety of mochi was excellent—even in the train station! I also really enjoyed the fresh, locally-sourced food found in the obanzai dishes of Kyoto. Plus, I admired the ubiquitous bento … [Read more...]

Boba Tea and Mystery

I recently enjoyed an author event with the perfect title: Afternoon (Boba) Tea & Mystery. The rhyming factor is great, and what’s better than some refreshing bubble tea in the afternoon? Special thanks goes out to the Northern California chapters of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America for co-sponsoring the event. This was an offsite activity that coincided with the Bay Area Book Festival. Here is a signed copy I got of Kelly Yang’s Yes We Will: I had a fun time … [Read more...]

Wordless Wednesday: Holiday Donut

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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...]