Which happens first for you? Buy a new ingredient for the first time, then goes searching for the easiest recipe ever to cook it; or find a recipe first, then goes buying that new ingredient(s) you have always wanted to try?
Grilled Yellowtail Collar (Hamachi Kama)
If you are wondering which part of the fish is this and what fish is this, stop the guesswork. It is the collar part of yellow-tail fish, also known as Hamachi Kama if you happened to see that at the seafood section in the Japanese supermarket or in the Japanese restaurant menu.
Which happens first for you? Buy a new ingredient for the first time, then goes searching for the easiest recipe ever to cook it; or find a recipe first, then goes buying that new ingredient(s) you have always wanted to try?
Which happens first for you? Buy a new ingredient for the first time, then goes searching for the easiest recipe ever to cook it; or find a recipe first, then goes buying that new ingredient(s) you have always wanted to try?
Heirloom Tomatoes Baby Kale Pasta
As much as I enjoy hot warming soups all year round, a change of seasons usually switches our eating habits - from hearty wholesome stews to light, fresh vegetables and/or fruit salads such as Watermelon Basil Salad and Arugula Cantaloupe Salad.
With heirloom tomatoes, it is a great time to inject freshness and juicy sweetness to this light and flavorful pasta dish - Fusili with Garlic-Shallot Organic Baby Kale and Heirloom Tomatoes.
Which summer produce/dish do you look forward to ?
With heirloom tomatoes, it is a great time to inject freshness and juicy sweetness to this light and flavorful pasta dish - Fusili with Garlic-Shallot Organic Baby Kale and Heirloom Tomatoes.
Which summer produce/dish do you look forward to ?
Lavash Bread Pizza 香脆薄皮比萨
See that flatbread pizza lurking out there with Asparagus Soup? Other than whole wheat pita bread, the other bread that I buy often, more so recently, is lavash bread which also happens to be my recent new favorite from Trader Joes. Lavash bread is a thin, soft flatbread popular in Middle East. I use lavash bread like any other bread - slather peanut butter and jelly then roll it up, or as flatbread for pizza. I am for thin-crust pizza anytime, anyway.
As lavash bread is thin, a short baking time is recommended in the oven as baking them too long under high heat will dry them out and burn the bread. It is also advisable to keep the sauces (if any) very light so that the sauce does not make the flatbread soggy.
As lavash bread is thin, a short baking time is recommended in the oven as baking them too long under high heat will dry them out and burn the bread. It is also advisable to keep the sauces (if any) very light so that the sauce does not make the flatbread soggy.
Asparagus Soup (without cream) 芦笋浓汤
2022 update: As part of sharing frugal kitchen tips/tricks and zero-waste kitchen, this is an updated post focusing on saving the fibrous bottom stems of asparagus (which are often discarded as the tender top stems are consumed) to make soup. While the original post was about blanching the bottom stems, today's update is roasting the bottom stems as it imparts more flavors into the blended soup.
[Preparing asparagus] Separate the fibrous bottom end and less fibrous top spears - hold the entire spear at both ends and gently bend the spear till it breaks into two (where the spear naturally snaps), leaving you with tender less fibrous top spears and more fibrous bottom stems. Make Asparagus with Maitake Mushroom Stir-Fry with the tender tops while keeping the bottom stems to make Asparagus Soup.
[Roasting asparagus bottoms] 400F/20-30mins, roast asparagus with chopped onions/green onions, garlic powder and black pepper. To save time cutting onions, use onion powder instead of chopped onions/green onions.
[Making soup] Recipe found in the original post below using immersion blender or use power blender with option to add cream/milk for thicker soup consistency.
---Original posted 2013---
The entire asparagus - bottom stems (peeled) and spear tops usually end up as stir-fries in my kitchen. However, when tender tips are used for steaming or in en-papillote recipes, the bottom stems are saved for a soup like this Asparagus Soup.
Asparagus Soup 芦笋浓汤
All you need is homemade chicken stock (made by boiling chicken, ginger and onions). Vegetarians can use homemade vegetable broth. First, blanch the bottom stems of the asparagus, allow to cool. Reheat/boil homemade chicken stock (or vegetable stock/broth), then add in bunch of bottom stems. When stems soften, turn off the heat. Puree using hand-blender. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with fresh green/spring onions and serve warm.
A spring light lunch - soup served with "flat-bread" pizza!
[Preparing asparagus] Separate the fibrous bottom end and less fibrous top spears - hold the entire spear at both ends and gently bend the spear till it breaks into two (where the spear naturally snaps), leaving you with tender less fibrous top spears and more fibrous bottom stems. Make Asparagus with Maitake Mushroom Stir-Fry with the tender tops while keeping the bottom stems to make Asparagus Soup.
[Roasting asparagus bottoms] 400F/20-30mins, roast asparagus with chopped onions/green onions, garlic powder and black pepper. To save time cutting onions, use onion powder instead of chopped onions/green onions.
[Making soup] Recipe found in the original post below using immersion blender or use power blender with option to add cream/milk for thicker soup consistency.
---Original posted 2013---
The entire asparagus - bottom stems (peeled) and spear tops usually end up as stir-fries in my kitchen. However, when tender tips are used for steaming or in en-papillote recipes, the bottom stems are saved for a soup like this Asparagus Soup.
Asparagus Soup 芦笋浓汤
All you need is homemade chicken stock (made by boiling chicken, ginger and onions). Vegetarians can use homemade vegetable broth. First, blanch the bottom stems of the asparagus, allow to cool. Reheat/boil homemade chicken stock (or vegetable stock/broth), then add in bunch of bottom stems. When stems soften, turn off the heat. Puree using hand-blender. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with fresh green/spring onions and serve warm.
A spring light lunch - soup served with "flat-bread" pizza!
Honey Soy-Sauce Chicken
Food preferences change, from us being a kid to an adult. However, there are some "likes", "dislikes" or habits that never change.
For example, I never had a sweet tooth since I was young and my addiction to anything savory has been consistent - from Twisties, Chickadees as a kid to my current go-to potato chips - they are all savory.
From chicken wings then to chicken wings now - yes, I never like any other parts of the chicken except the wings and perhaps the back-bones(carcass) of the chicken.
Do you have any food habits that drastically change or did not change at all?
Come specific about the wings - I prefer the mid-joint and wing tips to the drummettes. But some things come in a package, so when I bought whole wings from Trader Joes, I sliced and chopped them into three parts - drummettes, mid-joint, and tips; kept the mid-joint and and wing tips for other dishes and used those drummettes for these Honey Soy Chicken Drummettes that is adapted from Nami Cookbook.
For example, I never had a sweet tooth since I was young and my addiction to anything savory has been consistent - from Twisties, Chickadees as a kid to my current go-to potato chips - they are all savory.
From chicken wings then to chicken wings now - yes, I never like any other parts of the chicken except the wings and perhaps the back-bones(carcass) of the chicken.
Do you have any food habits that drastically change or did not change at all?
Come specific about the wings - I prefer the mid-joint and wing tips to the drummettes. But some things come in a package, so when I bought whole wings from Trader Joes, I sliced and chopped them into three parts - drummettes, mid-joint, and tips; kept the mid-joint and and wing tips for other dishes and used those drummettes for these Honey Soy Chicken Drummettes that is adapted from Nami Cookbook.
Cucumbers with Sesame Oil-Soy Dressing 凉拌黄瓜
Winter is not the season to eat too much cucumber especially from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). As it goes - "as cool as a cucumber" (indeed, cucumber is considered "cooling" food by TCM), we do not want our body to be subjected to more "cold elements" in the winter season. Attuned with Chinese food therapy, fried and "heaty" food should also be avoided as much as possible during summer.
Do you avoid consuming too much of a certain food in each season especially in summer (the hot!) or winter (the cold...)?
In addition, I do not use cucumber that often in my kitchen (if you notice) due to my tendency to consume nutrient-dense food. To me, cucumber is not nutrient-dense as it is mainly (~95%) moisture (water).
Well...Then...But....
Summer IS the season for cooling cucumbers. Plus who could resist the organic cucumber when they go on-sale at 88 cents each.
To neutralize the "cool" (yin) of the cucumber, I am going to add warm (yang) elements to it. Red chili flakes and raw garlic should do the trick. This Chinese-style cucumber salad is dressed in sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar and soy sauce.
Do you avoid consuming too much of a certain food in each season especially in summer (the hot!) or winter (the cold...)?
In addition, I do not use cucumber that often in my kitchen (if you notice) due to my tendency to consume nutrient-dense food. To me, cucumber is not nutrient-dense as it is mainly (~95%) moisture (water).
Well...Then...But....
Summer IS the season for cooling cucumbers. Plus who could resist the organic cucumber when they go on-sale at 88 cents each.
To neutralize the "cool" (yin) of the cucumber, I am going to add warm (yang) elements to it. Red chili flakes and raw garlic should do the trick. This Chinese-style cucumber salad is dressed in sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar and soy sauce.