This meal was made from everything that was leftover from my fridge and pantry, and the results were pretty phenomenal   The best part about this meal is that I used no oil at all.  It was just a variety of different cooking techniques — roasting, steaming, braising, boiling and of course just left raw.  My favorite part about this dish were the robust flavors of the roasted rutabagas paired with the lemony rice ...

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Ya know, this eating light thing isn’t half bad.  I think I fell off the “eating healthy” bandwagon for awhile because that was all my mother told me to do for my entire life.  Even a couple years back when she first met Collin, she made this braised pork belly and numerous side dishes, and as I was reaching for a nice piece of pork belly, immediately my mother blocked my chopsticks — “Xin xin, ...

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I always enjoy a good quiche, my favorite being Quiche Lorraine.  Something about the light fluffy eggs folded with caramelized onions and bacon enveloped in a flaky buttery crust just never fails to make my heart skip two beats (maybe even literally).
Since I am trying to cut calories when possible, I decided to use fat free milk and whipped egg whites.  This reduced my calories and fat from the egg yolks and the cream that ...

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I think one of the most important things to remember in cooking is picking good quality ingredients–fresh produce, grass fed beef, wild-caught seafood, fresh pastas–the difference in flavors are unbelievable.  I started venturing to farmer’s markets on a weekly basis when I lived in Tucson,AZ for a short period of time with my fiance.  Every weekend we’d go to different farmers’ markets across town sampling products and produce as well as talking to the farmers ...

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Back when I lived in Austin, I’d always go to this Thai restaurant called Madam Mam’s.  It was cheap, delicious, and they always gave you enough food to have some left over to take home.  Now I am not a huge fan of leftovers, but when it came to Madam Mam’s, you better believe that I got territorial over people sneaking my food (mainly honey).  Since being away, I have not yet found a Thai ...

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My mother sent me back with this gigantic rack of baby back ribs — see why I like going back home so much? Haha I decided to be inventive and created a unique bbq sauce made from “Jiu Nian” or Fermented Rice.  It turned out  to be FINGER-LICKIN good delicious! I did a dry rub first and then simply “braised” them in the oven, then finishing cooking by generously covering the ribs in ...

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While I was home, my gracious mother sent me back with this beautiful cut of Chilean Sea Bass.  OH the wonders of sea bass, this has got to be my favorite kind of fish.  Everything about it is perfect — the rich buttery flavor and firm texture of the delicate flaky meat are all reasons why I would eat this fish every day if I could.  I hear that it is becoming “over-fished” which breaks ...

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My earliest food memory as a child would have to be my mother’s braised pork shoulder otherwise known in Chinese as “Hong Sao Rou — here the centerpiece for a feast is turkey, at my home it was the almighty braised pork shoulder.  It was always everyone’s favorite, I’d remember smelling the wonderful aromas of star anise and ginger enriching the air melting into the delicious meat, and that rich succulent braising liquid that holds ...

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The Thanksgiving Feast was a great success — thank you to all my guests for coming! I always enjoy holding a Thanksgiving get together with friends and family every year, it always brings me happiness to cook for the people I love .  Another big reason is because being Chinese-American, my very Traditional Chinese parents do not celebrate Thanksgiving!   I would always remember getting out of school for Thanksgiving break  yet never going anywhere ...

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I decided to make my fiance the ultimate MAN MEAL last night: Steak and Potatoes! I love making this dish because it’s really simple and the results are always amazing.  The trick that makes restaurant steaks so good is that they pan sear it, and then cook it the rest of the way in the oven with a nice pat of butter.  You can really use any cut of steak you want and same with ...

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Many of you probably have never had marrow, it was my fiance’s first experience and he absolutely feel in love with it.  I found some fresh marrow bones at a local Middle Eastern market where they sold a lot of Halal meat, so they had various types of meats and cuts you usually do not find in your regular grocery stores.  You can also ask your grocer’s butcher counter if they keep any marrow bones ...

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Chicken

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