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Mom's Peanut Butter Noodles

This is a cold summer dish that my mom would make in the summer for lunch. It's easy and fast, and there's no heat involved. Sometimes, she'll make it extra aggressive with double the garlic amount. The downside of that? Massive garlic breath.

Recipe after the jump!

My kid does not like the raw garlic in this dish, but you can dry sauté it until it is cooked.

For 4 servings:

8 ounces wheat noodles (like this)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoon Japanese rice vinegar

3 tablespoon mirin

2 tablespoon sesame paste

2 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup shredded cucumber

1 cup bean sprouts (optional)

Prepare the noodles according to package directions. Drain and plunge it into an ice water bath. Drain again; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together soy sauce, vinegars, mirin, sesame paste, and peanut butter until smooth and creamy. Add in garlic and noodles. Mix until the noodles are coated. Toss in cucumber and bean sprouts (optional).

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Braised Pork Belly (on Rice)

When i was mentally and physically wiped out from surgery, my husband went to CostCo by himself. In our house, this usually means one ill thought-out purchase because it looked like a deal. I don't know how many pounds of pork belly it was, but here we are today, making pork belly recipes. And yes, it's a Taiwanese variation. For some reason, we like the braise the shit out of pork if we're not frying it. I don't think I've ever seen it in other forms.

My food blogger angle has always been Taiwanese. Nowadays, there are a lot more Taiwanese food bloggers, writing in English, showing food from our home country or roots. Just remember that I was the OG. Unfortunately, I was not clever enough to capitalize it more or shop my cookbook to more agents and hyper-focused on my marketing career.

For 4 servings (adapted from “Eating Taiwanese Food at Home”):

1 1/2 pounds pork belly, cut into 1-inch pieces

1-inch knob ginger, sliced

5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

3 large shiitake or portobella mushrooms, sliced

1 2/3 cup water

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine

4 star anise

4 boiled eggs

2 green onions, sliced

Fry pork belly in a large sauté pan over medium heat until golden brown.

Remove pork belly and drain most of the fat.

Add sliced ginger, garlic and sugar in the same sauté pan until fragrant, about 3 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the cooked pork belly and the remaining 5 ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, partially uncovered for 40-45 minutes. Add boiled egg in the last 3 minutes of cooking.

Garnish with sliced green onions. Serve over rice. It is not meant to be eaten as a main and it will be a salt bomb.

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Whole Branzino with Lazy Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

This isn't a recipe post, but preparing this dish got me thinking about the experience of eating whole fish. It’s interesting my lil' family of three can easily finish an entire fish, but we'll crave more food. When we have fish fillets, we’re content once we polish our plates. There’s something about the whole fish that feels more satisfying, although I don’t have any solid data to back that up. I also wonder if it’s tied to the overall at-home dining experience. Maybe eating a whole fish feels more intimate, mindful. You have to navigate the skin and bones, really putting in the work. Because it works so well for our family, I'd like to cook whole fish more often at home.

I used an adapted version of this recipe, which I have to say is pretty solid. I used shallots instead of onions and I wanted a little softness with my cherry tomatoes so they went into the broiler with the fish. The asparagus? Cooked separately and placed there so I didn't have to use another dish.

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Fettuccine with Crispy Prosciutto and Spinach

When I buy prosciutto or any sort of cured meat like that, I tend to ask for a half pound of a pound. It is A LOT and it's not cheap. You're talking $21 at best. My kid loves any sort of meat that would go on a charcuterie board which is why I overbuy. She's generally not a fan of meat but once the board is out, she forgets. When I made this pasta, she rated it as "Yummy!"

For 4 servings:

8 ounces fettuccine

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into strips

1 tablespoon butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp tomato paste

4 cups baby spinach leaves

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Prepare fettuccine according to package direction.

In a sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Pan-fry prosciutto strips until edges are crispy. Remove prosciutto from pan and transfer to a paper towel. Meanwhile, heat butter in sauté pan until melted. Add minced garlic and salt; sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in heavy cream. Stir in tomato paste.

Bring the mixture to a simmer. Once sauce thicken, remove from heat. Toss in fettuccine and spinach leaves. Serve, with the option to add black pepper and Parmesan.

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Taiwanese Chicken Cutlet 炸雞排

I wanted to recreate a more dinner-friendly version of the fried chicken that you see at Taiwanese night markets. They're usually pounded flat like a schnitzel but I wanted a less intimidating variation that could go on rice and salads. The aroma is warm and slightly spicy, and it is not the fried chicken you're used to. In fact, I crave this more than I crave the "standard" fried chicken (RIP Revival for the Minnesotans). Oh, this recipe has an added bonus: it's gluten-free and you can't tell.

You can use any kind of chicken you want but I prefer dark meat. I love how it's just richer and more tender, but they are high in fat. If you opt for white meat, definitely marinade the chicken for more than an hour.

For 6 servings:

Marinade:

6 pieces skinless chicken thighs

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoon rice wine

2 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon five spice powder

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Frying:

Vegetable oil

1 cup sweet potato flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pat dry the chicken thighs before marinating. Combine all fo the marinade ingredients together in a large gallon-sized storage bag or container. Marinade for at least an hour.

In a large heavy-bottom pan, fill the pan with about 1-inch deep of vegetable oil. Heat the oil over medium heat. (The oil is ready when it sizzles after you add a drop of water into it.) Meanwhile, mix together potato flour and baking powder. Add mixture to a plate and coat the chicken thighs, one piece at a time.

Cook coated chicken, 4-5 minutes on each side or until it is golden brown. Let is rest for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serve over rice. Adding other side dishes is highly recommended for a balanced meal. You know, like vegetables.

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Everything Bagel Pizza (Flatbread?)

Another recipe-less recipe post. I mean, there's some semblance of a recipe. For strong ingredients like lox and dill, I think it's important to have some freedom on how much or how little you want of something. I put a pretty conservative amount of lox in the above picture. My ideal version: a sea of lox that you can't even see the white cream cheese and double the dill.

I love salt and it's a real problem.

For 6 servings:

1 sheet (about 8 1/2 ounces) puff pastry dough

Everything bagel seasoning (buy it at Trader Joe's or make your own)

2/3 cup cream cheese

Lox

Dill

Shallots or red onion, sliced

Capers, optional

Preheat oven to 400F. Roll out one sheet puff pastry dough on a parchment paper lined pan. With a rolling pin, roll it out slightly so it stretches out an additional 1/2-inch on each side. Fold each side about 1/2-inch and sprinkle it with everything bagel seasoning.

Bake for about 15 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

Let it cool to touch. Spread cream cheese on top. Top with desired lox, dill, sliced shallots or red onion and/or capers. Cut into 6 squares and serve.

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Japanese-style Deviled Eggs

It's deviled eggs season. This one tastes like a Japanese egg salad with some heat.

For 6 servings (4 in my household):

12 hard-boiled eggs

1/2 cup kewpie

1/2 tablespoon wasabi

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Togarashi, to garnish

Sliced green onions, to garnish

Masago or roe, to garnish

Slice eggs in a half lengthwise. Transfer egg yolks to a small mixing bowl. Add kewpie, wasabi, rice vinegar, salt, and white pepper. Mash until the mixture is mostly smooth. Fill egg whites with the yolk mixture. Garnish with togarashi, green onions and masago or roe.

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If you follow me on Instagram, you'll get the preview of everything I post on here like these bunny butt pancakes. I tend to share things that are in the works or things I've just wrapped up.

I don't actively write recipes for brands anymore, I'd like to ramp it back up now that my travel plans and health have been much steadier. What I would really like to do is start creating more fantastical things, like stained glass cakes using edible food leather or something. Get the idea? What should I do/try next? What challenge should I take on?

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I've been on a breakfast sandwich kick and I feel like I've made my rounds in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, but less so in the suburbs. Since I travel a fair bit for work across the country and I'm slowly integrating back to my routine again, where is the best breakfast sandwich in your neck of the woods?

(Pictured, from So Yen Doughnuts in St. Paul, MN)

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Tomato Steamed Clams

I love seafood and I love making it. My favorite thing about this dish is smearing the obliterated grit from the bottom of the serving bowl on a fresh, toasted buttery baguette. And then you take a bite of clam meat. And then you dip the bread in the broth. Repeat.

If you're new here, there are a few things you should know about the way I write recipes. I write under the assumption that the listed ingredients are mostly prepped ahead of time. The classic mise en place where everything is ready to go -- the vegetables are chopped, the fish is already gutted and clams are cleaned -- before the actual cooking starts. I used to only use abbreviations for measurements but I've learned that (1) reading comprehension is on the decline and (2) it is a bit of a privileged coded language -- if you've never cooked in your entire damn life and are willing to make the effort to learn, why add to the learning curve and be part of the problem? I like SHORT recipe posts versus a long life story where a "jump to recipe" anchor link is needed. Instead of doing long, step-by-step how-to's, I'll link to other sites that go through certain techniques with videos and photos -- effort that I just don't have the bandwidth to do.

For 4 servings:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoon tomato paste

14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 cups vegetable broth

2 pounds littleneck clams

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Fresh parsley, to garnish

In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onions, chopped bell pepper, minced garlic and tomato paste; sauté until the onions are softened. Add the entire can of diced tomatoes, cumin, smoked paprika and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer and reduce to medium-low heat. Add the clams and cook for 8-10 minutes, uncovered, until the clams open up.

Serve with hot, toasty buttered bread.

[fritesandfries]

One Pan Warm Kale Salad with Butternut Squash

This isn't one of my best recipes, but I've been desperately trying to remake a salad from a local restaurant that I'm very much in a relationship with. It's Pink Ivy's warm kale salad with grilled zucchini, roasted carrots, huckleberries, and a sherry-thyme vinaigrette. I never thought I would think about a salad that much. Sadly, it's not on the menu anymore.

I like sharing recipes to see if someone is willing to run with it and make it better.

For 2-3 servings:

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

6 ounces butternut squash, cut into small pieces (brunoise)

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tsp. dried thyme leaves

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 large bunch kale, stems removed

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add cut butternut squash, chopped onions, minced garlic and salt. Cook until garlic is slightly crispy. Add thyme leaves, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and maple syrup. Stir for about a minute; add kale leaves. Remove from heat and coat kale with pan mixture. Leaves should wilt slightly and turn into a darker green. Transfer to a small serving bowl. Garnish with black pepper and grated Parmesan cheese.

Bonus action shot here.

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It's been awhile since I've posted a recipe: work, travel, work, travel and the sort. Now that I'm bedridden because of surgery, I'm playing catch-up.

I like fancy things, the finer things in life. Lately? Eggs that tastes like a dish you'd pay $18 for at Jack's Wife Freda or whatever elevated breakfast joint you can think of. To replicate the above photo, all you need is: 2 pan-fried eggs napping on a schmear of Greek yogurt, parsley, dill, hot honey (Cry Baby Craig's, because I live in Minneapolis) and two pinches of za'atar. Adjust to your liking -- less parsley if you don't want that earthy dirt flavor, less/no yogurt if you have to live on lactaid. That's it. That's the entire recipe. A recipe-less recipe.

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I remember when I first moved back to Minneapolis, the food scene was a bit sad with the options on Eat Street being the most "exotic." In the past 10 years, I've loved seeing all the new chefs and concepts come in. It's been great to live and eat here (see Le Burger, pictured above), and watching the area grow.

However, in the past 2-3 years, I've noticed a huge influx of new Instagram and TikTok influencers dedicated to Twin Cities food coverage. Food is subjective, so opinions are valuable. Take a closer look, and you'll notice a few things.

Everything is a "hidden gem"

Everything tastes great but no one directly talk about what was a miss or terrible. Instead, you'll see subtle workarounds in reviews and influencer posts. Beautiful dish, pretty cocktail...and notice the lack of food/drink descriptors.

Regurgitation of the same restaurants on social media that doesn't highlight anything new. Instead, they all look and feel the same.

No one is capitalizing on a specific angle, but instead, hoping to ride the rave and revenue that people used to make a decade ago. But part of it is the culture here and the circles are small. If you are not from Minnesota and have watched trash TV like Love Is Blind Minneapolis like I do, you may have sensed this. If you're from here, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Because the industry is small, critiques are hard for a lot of the restaurateurs and chefs here to take. Many people don't want to be critical or honest about their opinions for the fear and risk of being ostracized from their Instagram circle or whatever. Secondly, there's a vast network of food writers and chefs who are friends. It makes it difficult to be objective when social circles are small.

Take a look at this review from Rick Nelson of the Star Tribune. This is the most critical thing this man has said: [ ] Just kidding, he's never said anything critical. By comparison of a similar era, Sam Sifton of the NYTimes: "Cabbage said to have been steamed with garlic and chilies, then drizzled with lardo, tastes of cardboard and water, a school-lunch nightmare that is hard to shake." In Minnesota, if a writer wrote like that, they would probably get demoted to Obituaries. 12-years ago, another food writer called it out in the most, subtle Minnesota way: "How many three- and four-star restaurants can one metro area have? Well, we have thirty-six, yep, thirty-six. According to The New York Times, New York City has just thirty-four restaurants of that rank. Now, I am not saying we don’t have a bevy of quality restaurants, I just think the star system that is used in many cities has been bastardized. There are, in my opinion, a very small handful of four-star caliber restaurants in the Twin Cities, but not thirty-six."

Blind item: Which MN chef kicked a restaurant critic out of their restaurant because of their review?

It's the attitude like this that prevents growth here. I will probably not be welcome into that restaurant anymore after I post this. Again, the circles are small here.

Minnesotans have also taken issue with current Star Tribune critic Jon Cheng's writing, but I think his take and experience as a diner in multiple cities is a breath of fresh air. It lacks the kowtowing that was done in the past...and even in the present by some. I'm biased though, as a chef's [ex] wife, experiencing the NYC restaurant scene and now in the Twin Cities. But I understand why people have issues with it: the food scene here is evolving beyond adding more Buca di Beppo's and a 13520th concept from Travail. (Hey, there's nothing wrong with either of these things). "His work is so incredibly condescending to both local restaurants and local eaters!" they say. The question is ultimately, how big do you want your local food scene to grow? Michelin-worthy? Or just a big city with a handful of okay restaurants like Philadelphia?

Other hot takes (my opinions):

Some of the new restaurants are truly overrated even when the concept and intention is solid. Example: Minari and its dim sum carts. It's a bit strange and it could be executed better. The heart is lost and felt like it was built for Instagram moments. There are definitely stand-out gems.

"Hidden gems." I wish this phrase was written out of influencer vocabulary.

I LOVE seeing small businesses like Abang Yoli and Egg on a Roll thrive in getting the capital they need to grow.

What else am I missing? Would this really be considered a hot take anywhere else? If I was still writing this in New York, it would be another Monday. Except here, I might be uninvited from a new restaurant opening.

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Yuzu Cake

Did you know that it's illegal to import yuzu in the U.S.? There are some grown domestically in California, but you can buy yuzu juice more easily than the fresh fruit.

Floral aroma, citrusy flavor, light whipped cream frosting. This is a recipe for a small but mighty 3-layer cake.

For 6-servings:

2 1/4 cups cake flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

5 large eggs, separated

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/3 cup yuzu juice (I used the @theyuzuco)

Vegetable oil, for the pan

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease three 6-inch cake pans or two 8-inch cake pans with vegetable oil. [Pro-tip: line the bottom of the pan with paper liners.]

Combine cake flour, baking powder, salt and cream of tartar. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine egg yolks, sugar, vegetable oil and almond extract. Stir; gently whisk in yuzu juice. In a stand mixer, whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form. On low speed, pour in egg yolk mixture until incorporated. Remove batter from stand mixer. Using a spatula, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients at a time. The mixture should be evenly colored.

Divide batter into three 6-inch cake pans or generously two 8-inch cake pans, filling it just over halfway. Bake for 20-25 min.

Let it cool completely before removing the cake from the pan, frosting and decorating.

Whipped cream frosting:

Welp, all I know is that this is enough for the cake recipe -- I should've measured it.

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

1 ½ tablespoons water

1 pint heavy cream, chilled

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Dissolve gelatin in water. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, whisk heavy cream until soft peaks form. Stir in confectioners sugar. Once incorporated, add gelatin-water mixture. [If the gelatin has stiffened up, melt it in the microwave for a few seconds. Make sure the mixture is room temperature before adding to the whipped cream mixture.] Whisk until stiff peaks form.

Leveling, or torting, the cooled cake layers with a knife so the cake layers don’t slip off because of the dome that appears in the center of the cake. Layer each cake with desired amount of whipped cream frosting; frost and decorate the outside as desired.

When I’m feeling real lazy, I go for the naked cake look and use most of the frosting between the layers and on top of the cake.

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Oyster Omelet 蚵仔煎

You'll see oysters incorporated in a lot of Taiwanese cuisine: pancakes, soups, noodle dishes and more. It is an island after all. Oyster omelet is a classic dish in Taiwan, and I prefer sweeter Pacific oysters for this. Traditionally, some sort of starch is incorporated into the egg batter so you get this mochi-like texture. To be honest, I get grossed out when it's too "stretchy" or sticky, especially in an egg dish, because it tastes like it is under-cooked. Ugh.

For 1-2 servings:

6 oysters

2 large eggs

1 green onion, sliced

1 tbsp. sweet potato starch

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/8 tsp. ground white pepper

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tbsp. water

1/2 c. chrysanthemum greens, lightly packed

Shuck and remove oysters from the shell. Set aside. In a small mixing bowl, mix together eggs, green onion slices, sweet potato starch, salt and ground white pepper (1/8th is really just a few cranks on the ol' pepper grinder but for those who like to be precise).

Heat vegetable oil in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Add egg mixture and cook until the bottom is partially set. Transfer oyster meat on top, let it cook for about a minute. Add chrysanthemum greens on top and flip the omelet. Let it sit for about 30-seconds or until the egg is cooked. Serve as a shared breakfast dish or keep it to yourself.

I purposefully did not include toppings in the recipe because I feel like people are picky with the way they eat their eggs? It's probably my own personal thing. I like topping it with a Taiwanese chili sauce and some green onions. Even spicy ketchup will do.

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Noodles for the Lunar New Year

Happy Lunar New Year! [Insert long copy here about my Chinese grandmother.] I decided to do what I do best: destroy things by taking inspiration from Chinese Longevity Noodles.

For 4 servings:

4 oz. piece pickled mustard greens (suan cai)

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 shallot, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb ground beef (or chopped extra firm tofu)

1 c. chopped shiitake mushrooms

3 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. black bean paste

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

2 c. beef broth (or vegetable broth)

12 oz. plain wheat noodles (check out this Asian noodle buying guide)

Soak suan cai in a bowl of water -- make sure it is completely submerged -- for about 30 minutes. You only need about half of what's in the packaging (a standard package for this has about 8-ounces). Drain and squeeze/press dry with a clean kitchen towel. Chop.

In a heavy bottom sauté pan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add shallot, garlic. Sauté for 1 minute. Add ground beef (or tofu) and chopped mushrooms. Sauté, breaking apart ground beef, for about 7-10 minutes until the meat is completely cooked. Add chopped suan cia, soy sauce, black bean paste, sugar, and broth. Bring it to a simmer and reduce heat to medium low. Let it cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare noodles to package directions. Drain noodles and transfer to the sauté pan. Gently mix everything together before serving.

I like garnishing mine with some fried shallots and sliced green onions.

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For dinner tonight, homemade congee -- savory rice porridge -- that sticks to the bone.

Homemade Congee

For 4 servings:

Congee:

1 cup [uncooked] long grain rice

4 cups bone broth [chicken or beef]

3 cups water

1 tsp. Kosher salt

Combine all the ingredients together in a small pot. Bring to a boil; simmer on the stove for at least 1-hour and cooked down to desired texture. (I don’t like my rice too broken down.)

Common congee seasonings include green onions, ginger, roasted peanuts, egg, pork floss and so much more. But for this recipe, I added duck to mine!

Duck Breast (the lazy air-fryer version) -- Optional:

12-ounces Moulard duck breast

1/2 teaspoon five spice

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Pat dry the skin on the duck breast with a clean paper towel. Score the skin with a crosshatch pattern. Add seasonings and oil on the skin, spreading evenly. Cook in an air fryer at 400F for 15 minutes -- the internal temperature should be around 130F. Slice before serving with congee.