Shitake mushrooms are an undervalued item. They’re commonly found in Asian cuisines, have an earthy taste, and offer a wonderful umami flavor. When I was growing up, my parents often stir-fried shitake mushrooms with shredded pork or put them in with beef roasts. Shitake mushrooms have a great chew similar to that of portabella mushrooms. … Read more
Growing up in Kentucky in 90’s, we didn’t always have ready access to a variety of Asian vegetables. Occasionally the local Asian market would sell lotus roots, and my mom would buy it for us. Fast forward a few decades, we are so blessed to have more access to various Asian vegetables and specifically lotus … Read more
Growing up, if we had eggplant, we ate it stir-fried because that’s what’s typical in Chinese cuisine. In adulthood, I discovered roasted and grilled eggplant, which is simply delicious. In the process of being roasted or grilled, eggplants develop a beautiful caramelized color. Some people do not eat eggplants because it’s a nightshade vegetable. But … Read more
One of the visitors to this website asked me for a vegan risotto recipe. Cooking risotto is a labor of love that provides a good arm workout. Arborio is an Italian rice typically used in risotto recipes. Risotto is also known for its creaminess. Most recipes ask for butter at the end to give risotto … Read more
I first tried chayote in elementary school. My family stumbled across this vegetable at the local farmer’s market. In Chinese cuisine, most vegetables are stir-fried. And that’s how I learned to eat chayote. It wasn’t until later in my adult life that I learned to use it in a salad. Chayote is a squash originating … Read more
I’m going to get honest. Most of the recipes that I have shared on here do not take much time to prepare. But lasagna just takes a while to put together. In our house, my husband doesn’t eat a whole lot of carbs so in general our meals are not carbohydrate heavy. But lasagna is … Read more
I like Baby Shanghia Bok Choy in stir-fries because the Baby Shanghai Bok Choy is more tender than the typical Shanghai Bok Choy. However, I love Shanghai Bok Choy grilled. To me, grilling affords a cleaner way of eating. And the larger Shanghai Bok Choy simply offers more surface area for beautiful charring. What You’ll … Read more
I first learned about hummus at a high school graduation party. In addition to having chips and salsa, hummus and sugar snap peas were also offered. I thought it was interesting but my high school self had yet to develop a healthier more refined taste. In high school, there was nothing better than pizza rolls … Read more
I live in the South. Whenever I ask people what vegetables they eat, the more common answers are green beans, corn, and collard greens. The traditional way of cooking southern collard greens takes hours because it’s stewed slowly with ham hock. Now I do enjoy southern collard greens from time to time. In fact, my … Read more
I never used mint in my cooking until recently. The previous owners of our home grew mint in a section of the backyard. Thus begin my adventures with fresh mint. I have greatly enjoyed weeding near my mint section because the aroma is simply amazing. But let me tell you. That mint proliferates. As my … Read more