There is chill in the air, rain on the streets, ghoulish treats on display, pumpkin spice on everything, and the wildest dressed people roaming the streets. All of these signs can only point to one holiday – Halloween. Growing up, Halloween was one of my top three favorite holidays (closely behind Christmas and Thanksgiving). I would anxiously count the days leading up to Halloween starting in September. I knew once school started, the shelves in stores would slowly switch from stocking school supplies to being filled with Halloween decorations. I loved browsing through stores throughout the months of September and October to see what kinds of cool decorations were out there for the year. I also used the time as an opportunity to scout out which candy treats I should start stocking up on, and which character I should become for Halloween that year. On the day of Halloween, I usually met up with some close friends and went trick or treating around my neighborhood in Brooklyn collecting as many treats as I could along the way. I continued this tradition year after year until I got to college. When I got to college, Halloween became meeting up with friends to go dancing instead of collecting treats. I transformed into a fairy using a pair of fairy wings I purchased at a local Rite Aid store in Brooklyn, a simple white shift dress, and some creative makeup. I would then meet up with some close college friends to go dancing at Halloween parties across Michigan campus. I saved the fairy wings for Halloween each year thereafter until after I graduated from college. Then, I traded my wings for food. Halloween post college was no longer an evening of going dancing. Instead, it became a night of gathering with friends and connecting over spooky, delicious foods. Meatballs and spaghetti became eyeballs and spaghetti. Smoked ribs got a new spooky name (usually in the form of a person’s name). Chicken wings turned into bat wings. Any food you can think of is transformed into a new creation with a spooky name. This year, Kevin and I celebrated Halloween early over the weekend with some ribs, wings, and sweet treats. Of course, with just the two of us, there were tons of food leftover. Even Kevin (an absolute meat lover) couldn’t finish all of the ribs. I ended up repurposing some leftover ribs from the evening before and using them to create my Southwest inspired fried rice. I named the fried rice southwest fried rice because of the ingredients incorporated into the rice. The fried rice was filled with corn, diced red pepper, diced onion, sliced scallions, minced garlic, homemade barbecue sauce, and of course, my spiced bbq spare ribs. The ribs added smoky, spicy, and savory notes to the fried rice. The corn, red pepper, and onion added a distinctive sweetness. Altogether, the fried rice became a medley of southwestern flavors. I couldn’t believe I didn’t think of this style of fried rice earlier.
Read More
Meatball Pizza
I can’t believe we are nearing the end of October. Halloween is in just a few days and then November will be here. Growing up in New York, Halloween was always one of my favorite holidays. I loved the excitement of shopping for costumes a few weeks before Halloween, preparing ghoulish treats on the days leading up to Halloween, and stocking up on tons of candy for fellow trick or treaters who may happen to ring our doorbell on the day of Halloween. The anticipation leading up to Halloween was always my favorite part of the holiday. As a child, I would beg my parents to take me trick or treating around our neighborhood right after school. My parents usually would take my brothers and I up and down the block we grew up on in Brooklyn whenever they had some time on the day of Halloween. When I got older, I would meet up with some friends to go trick or treating the evening of Halloween. We would weave our way through my neighborhood in Brooklyn collecting treats along the way. If there was a house with Halloween decorations, we would make our way up the steps, ring the doorbell, and wait to see what treats we would get. Trick or treating became an annual tradition. Some years I went with friends. Other years I went with my brothers. When I got to college, Halloween became evenings of dressing up and going out dancing around town in Ann Arbor. I dressed up as a fairy almost every year throughout college since it was the easiest costume to pull together. I kept the same fairy wings I bought at a local Rite Aid back in high school throughout college just to use for Halloween. After college, I realized I was too old to go trick or treating around town. Plus, I became much more aware of the chilly weather and can’t seem to step foot outdoor unless I had on at least three layers. Instead of going out, Halloween became celebrating with friends indoors over good food and festivities whenever we had the chance to gather together. One of the easiest dishes to make for a Halloween gathering is pizza. You can decorate the pizza however you like with any toppings of your choice. The toppings can be anywhere from simple to ghoulish. I made a simple meatball pizza as a way to use up leftover meatballs from my spaghetti and meatballs. The lean, meaty Italian inspired meatballs are halved and topped on a margherita style pizza pie (my absolute favorite pizza pie of all times). If you are feeling festive, you can also turn my meatball pizza into eyeball pizza by adding some mozzarella balls stuffed with olives to look like eyeballs.
Read More
Spaghetti and Meatballs
This week was my first official week attending professional baking classes. I’m only a couple classes in and have already experienced a whirlwind of emotions. There were moments on my first day of class where I felt as if I was a contestant in a cooking competition. All of my classmates knew where to retrieve all of the tools and ingredients to get started on their baking assignment, I, on the other hand, can’t even count how many times I ran around the kitchen asking my classmates if they knew where the rye flour, yeast, scales, or mixing bowls were. Unlike baking at home, we were required to measure everything using a scale. The classes have consumed most of my time outside of work, I haven’t even had much time to do anything else other than eat and sleep on weekdays. Whenever I have insanely packed weekdays, I like to prepare large servings of food the weekend before. Cooking ahead means I will be less tempted to order takeout or eat out. One of Kevin’s favorite dishes is meatballs. He loves all kinds of meatballs especially Italian style and my Hoisin glazed meatballs (packed with Asian flavors). If I’m preparing Italian style meatballs, I like to pair them with spaghetti tossed in a simple tomato puree. My spaghetti and meatballs are a homage to the spaghetti and meatballs I frequently ate growing up in New York City. There was always an abundance of local Italian restaurants throughout New York City serving home cooked Italian meatballs and spaghetti. I loved being able to explore all of the different local restaurants to experience different takes on traditional spaghetti and meatballs. Many of the traditional Italian style meatballs I’ve had featured ground beef (sometimes with other grounded meat mixed in), diced onion, tons of garlic, fresh parsley, Parmigiano Reggiano, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. I typically stick to the traditional style, but sometimes I swap in panko breadcrumbs for an airier crisp. This time around, I omitted the breadcrumbs altogether for leaner, meatier meatballs. I did keep the rest of the components of the meatballs in line with the traditional versions I ate growing up. I always brown the meatballs first before baking them with a simple tomato puree for optimal flavor. While the meatballs are baking in the oven, I prepare a box of thick spaghetti to toss into the simple tomato puree used to bake the meatballs. The end result is an intensely flavorful spaghetti and meatballs dish.
Read More
Pork and Cabbage Dumplings
I’m gearing up to start on my professional baking classes tomorrow. I even packed all of my professional kitchen apparel into my work bag to bring along to class right after work. I’m feeling a wide range of emotions including excitement, nervousness, and general eagerness. This weekend has been a beautiful weekend of both warm and cool weather. During cooler days, I like to take morning walks to soak in all of the crisp fall air. Fall season means the absolute best seasonal fruits and vegetables. I’ve been stocking up on a wide variety of apples to incorporate into fall dishes. This week in particular, I had intense cravings for pork and cabbage dumplings. My pork and cabbage dumplings are reminiscent of Kevin’s favorite food of all times, Shanghai style Xiao Long Bao, also known as soup dumplings. These soup dumplings are typically made with a pork and cabbage blend similar to the filling I use in my dumplings. The filling is packed into thin wrappers and steamed in bamboo steamer baskets. My pork and cabbage dumplings can give Xiao Long Bao a run for its money. My version of dumplings are plump, juicy, and perfect to eat any time of day. Whenever Kevin and I visit my family in New York City, we always make a trip to Joe’s Shanghai in Manhattan’s Chinatown to get our fix of soup dumplings. In more recent years, my older brother, Pete, and his wife, Steph, brought us to Kung Fu Xiao Long Bao in Flushing, Queens for authentic soup dumplings. Kevin thought the soup dumplings at Kung Fu Xiao Long Bao were authentic and very similar to the ones he had growing up in Hong Kong. Since then, he would always request for us to stop by Kung Fun Xiao Long Bao if we had the chance. While I love soup dumplings, I love lightly fried pork and cabbage dumplings just a bit more. If I get the opportunity, I will always make my way to the outskirts of Chinatown to get dollar dumplings along the restaurants near Columbus Park. The strip of restaurants near Columbus Park in Chinatown has some of the best dumplings. I grew up eating all sorts of dumplings with my family. We would eat dumplings in restaurants and bring back any leftovers (if there were any left) at the end of each meal. My dad would also buy bags upon bags of frozen pork and crab dumplings from local Chinese supermarkets to make when our cravings for dumplings kick in. I didn’t start making my own dumplings from scratch until I moved to the Midwest almost a decade ago. It has been a bit more difficult to get access to fresh dumplings in the Midwest without driving quite a bit to the closest authentic Chinese restaurants serving dumplings. Thus, shortly after moving to the Midwest, I began perfecting my version of pork and cabbage dumplings. I continued to improve upon my dumplings over the years until I came up with the perfect pork and cabbage dumplings.
Read More
Wonton Soup
Fall weather is officially here. I can feel the chilly fall air pass through my clothes on my morning walks to work. I’ve even begun layering on additional layers underneath my work clothes to stay warm throughout the day. My morning walks to work are a great way to clear my head before I tackle all of the assignments at work throughout the day. In between breaks, I dream about all the delicious foods I want to make. Lately, all I’ve been craving are warm soups, pastas, and oven baked goods – pretty much anything served hot. During the cold fall days, soups tend to be the easiest and tastiest options. Next week will officially mark the first week of my professional baking classes. Twice per week for several hours per day, I will be baking up a storm in a professional kitchen setting. I’ve been very excited about starting baking classes and using the classes as an opportunity to improve upon my baking skills. Before next week arrives, I’m squeezing in as much time in my home kitchen as possible. My latest adventures in the kitchen have led me to a warm bowl of wonton soup. There is just something so comforting about a bowl of warm broth filled with plump and juicy wontons. Wonton soup is one of my favorite soups. It’s so delicious and filling at the same time. Whether it is a simple bowl from a local restaurant in New York City’s Chinatown, a fancy bowl from a specialty restaurant in Hong Kong, or a homemade version from mom, I’ve truly enjoyed each and every one of them. Each family and each restaurant have their own version of wonton soup. Depending on who is making the wontons, the versions can vary. Many of the versions I’ve had typically features a blend of shrimp and pork chopped up and packed into plump wontons. My favorite simplified version features just ground pork along with a blend of aromatics and a savory sauce. These homemade pork wontons are equally (if not more delicious) than even the best versions I’ve had in restaurants. Better yet, these wontons are beyond a breeze to whip together in the kitchen.
Read More
Pumpkin Spice Blondies and BLINK Cincinnati 2019
We are in the midst of fall in Ohio. Fall is my favorite season of the year. I love the chill in the air, creative fall fashion, and the warming spices featured in many fall dishes. Pumpkin pie spice is one of my favorite spice blends to use in baked goods. I love sprinkling the spice blend into desserts and drinks. Most of the time, when I’m using pumpkin pie spice in my desserts, I like to pair it with pumpkin puree. Pumpkin puree works wonders as a replacement for eggs in baked goods or as an additional ingredient helping keep desserts moist. Whether it’s a crumb cake, gingerbread house, pancakes, or rolls, I absolutely love finding ways to incorporate pumpkin spice into as many treats as possible around this time of year. Over the weekend, I combined both pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice into yet another one of my favorite treats – blondies. I only make blondies occasionally because they are very indulgent. Out of all of the baked goods I make, blondies are one of Kevin’s favorite baked desserts. He isn’t a huge fan of baked goods, but definitely loves an occasional blondie, cookie, or pastry. Over the years, I put a lot of spins on my traditional brown sugar blondies including a chai tea version. This weekend, I made a vegan version featuring pumpkin spice blend and some pumpkin puree. It’s the perfect long weekend dessert to bake and snack on throughout the weekend. My version of blondies has a fudge like texture and is beyond addicting. I like to pair a piece of blondie with a cup of black tea for an afternoon treat. The tea helps offset the sweetness of the blondie. Kevin snacked on two pieces before I packed the rest away and stored them in the refrigerator. If I left the blondies on the table, I can’t guarantee the blondies would still be there an hour later. Keeping them out of sight at least temporarily keep them out of our minds. We relaxed for the rest of the afternoon before heading to check out BLINK in downtown Cincinnati later in the evening.
Read More
Vegetable Lo Mein
Fall is definitely in the air. The temperature is gradually dropping day by day. Just this morning, the temperature dropped to the mid-forties. Immediately when I stepped outside, I could feel the chill seep through my clothing. The leaves on trees are beginning to transition from bright green to shades of red, orange, and yellow. The changing leaves are definitely a sight of its own. I’ve finally started laying out my favorite cold weather sweaters to wear over the next few months. Projects at work have been picking up and in two weeks, I will finally be starting my professional baking class. I’m a bit nervous, but excited at the same time to continue improving upon my baking skills. Fall is my favorite season of the year. As we near the end of October, we are heading towards my favorite time of the year – the holiday stretch months of October through January. Halloween is creeping up in a few weeks. Right after Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are around the corner. Then, we have New Year and Lunar New Year approaching shortly after. Although Christmas is still months away, I have already started brainstorming ideas for gifts to get my family and close friends. I’m most excited to be able to see my family and friends since I do not get to see them a lot throughout the year. This year though, I will have the opportunity to see most of my family, close friends, and Kevin’s family over the holiday stretch. The chill in the air has made me craving warmer meals. Today, I had intense cravings for lo mein tossed with tons of fresh crunchy vegetables. My vegetable lo mein features a mixture of onion, carrots, bok choy and scallions, a savory mixture of Asian sauces, some aromatics, and precooked lo mein noodles.
Read More
Garlic Herb Pasta
I just got back from a short trip to visit family in California. Kevin’s sister, brother-in-law, and their two children live just outside of the bay area. The weather had been surprisingly unpredictable. There were days of cold mornings interspersed with days of hot afternoons. Kevin and I stayed at a DoubleTree hotel in Pleasanton. It was our first time staying at a DoubleTree hotel, so we were pleasantly surprised when we were greeted with some freshly baked chocolate chip cookies upon check-in. Kevin’s parents also stayed at the same hotel just a floor above us. His dad and stepmom had traveled from Hong Kong to visit Kevin’s sister, Karen, and her growing family. This was the first time in over a year since I had seen Kevin’s family. They had all traveled to New York during the summer of 2018 to celebrate Kevin and my wedding in Flushing, Queens. The last time I saw both Karen and Charles, they only had one son, Grant. A little over a year later, they welcomed Henry into the world. During our short trip to California, we spent most of the time in the Pleasanton and Dublin area. We got to spend some time exploring the different regional cuisines and foods of the area. Kevin’s family was eager to have some New American cuisine. We rounded out the rest of our meals with a traditional Chinese feast, authentic Vietnamese cooking, and standard Japanese fare. We even squeezed in a fast food meal here and there including a trip to In-N-Out Burger and a stop at Jamba Juice. Kevin insisted on stopping for a burger at In-N-Out Burger since he had never had one before. I needed a break from eating a lot of heavier meals and stopped to get a smoothie at Jamba Juice. A few days into the trip, I developed a cold and lost my appetite for the remainder of the trip. The highlight of the trip was definitely getting to spend time with Kevin’s family. Watching Grant grow before our very eyes and meeting Henry brought a lot of joy to our hearts. Before I knew it, Wednesday was here and I was Ohio bound. I had to travel back to Ohio a few days earlier since I had class on Friday. Throughout the trip, I had eaten a lot of heavy meals and was ready to return back to lighter, homecooked meals. One of my recent cravings has been a garlic herb pasta made with a chimichurri sauce. The garlic herb pasta featured tons of fresh parsley, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper.
Read More
Maize and Blue Scones
Fall has officially started this week. The temperatures have gradually fallen to the mid-fifties over the last few days. More and more people have begun bundling up with thicker coats and warmer footwear. Still, many others are holding onto summer weather for as long as they can. Kevin and I are visiting family in California this week. We packed for our trip by swapping out summer clothes and rotating in fall clothes. I even dusted off my fall boots and brought along some sweaters and a fall coat. The start of fall means a shift from cooking lighter meals to preparing heartier meals. Gone are the large serving bowls and out comes the deep casserole dishes. During the summer, my preferred meals tend to be light cold pastas and salads. I ate some sort of pasta tossed in vegetables and herbs almost every week during the summer. When fall rolls around, I start dreaming up baked casseroles, hearty soups, and roasted seasonal produce. Baked pastas become part of my monthly rotation of warming meals to serve along with new twists on tried and true soups. I’ve already started stocking up on my favorite spices, spice blends, and a variety of apples and squashes. Fall also means college football is in full swing. Kevin and I both love football Saturdays and game day foods. Depending on how Michigan plays, we may or may not have a maize and blue treat the very next day. We’ve been feeling a bit lukewarm about Michigan’s football season this year. Despite last week’s devastating loss, Michigan was able to bounce back with a solid win this week. To celebrate Saturday’s win, I’m sharing a recipe for my maize and blue scones. My maize and blue scones feature a ton of bursting sweet blueberries and fragrant lemon zest. Lemon and blueberries are one of my favorite fruit combinations to work into desserts. The blueberries add a freshness and sweetness to the scones. The lemon zest adds a brightness and slight tartness. Together, the combination is definitely a classic fruit pairing.
Read More
Blueberry, Quinoa, and Buckwheat Flour Pancakes
A couple years ago, Kevin and I had breakfast at a local restaurant called Sleepy Bee Café in the Oakley neighborhood of Cincinnati. We had heard a lot of good reviews about the restaurant from friends and wanted to check out the restaurant for ourselves. One fall morning, we woke up early and headed to the restaurant for some breakfast. When we arrived, we saw hoards of people gathered around the entrance waiting to be seated. The restaurant offered complimentary coffee to guests who were waiting outside. Kevin and I both enjoyed a cup of coffee as we waited for a table. By the time we were seated, I was starved. The atmosphere of the restaurant was very family friendly. Our waiter stopped by shortly after and handed us each a menu. The menu had options for just about any and every person. Kevin went straight for the over easy eggs and sausage patties. My eyes were locked on their specialty pancakes, bee cakes. The description on the menu for the bee cakes listed almond milk, quinoa, and buckwheat flour as the ingredients in the specialty pancakes. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the pancakes, but I was intrigued, so I ordered the bee cakes. When the bee cakes arrived, I took a bite and was pleasantly surprised by how fluffy and delightful the pancakes tasted. The pancakes were just slightly sweet and had a unique, nutty flavor. Weeks after our trip to Sleepy Bee Café, I still remembered the taste of the pancakes. It has been a couple years since we last went to the restaurant, but for some reason, I had a sudden urge to recreate the flavors and textures of the bee cakes. There was just something so satisfying about the pancakes, I had to recreate my own version. I put my own spin on the pancakes by folding some blueberries directly into the pancake batter right before frying up each individual pancake. I like to add blueberries directly into the batter because the blueberries, when heated, releases a sweet, almost syrupy liquid. I did play around with the ratios a bit when testing out the recipe to get the texture and flavor just right. After a couple of attempts, I was able to create some truly delicious pancakes.
Read More