Korean-style Zha Jiang Mien (Noodle), aka Jiajangmyun

I have been missing from my blog for a while now due to other commitments, aside from family - working full-time and taking classes in Hospitality Management Program at a local community college.  My goal is to be able to continue updating my blog on a regular basis or as often as possible.  So, here is my next recipe.

A Korean friend of mine made this noodle dish and I liked it a lot.  This is a Korean version of the Chinese Zha Jiang Mien that is very popular in Korea.  The recipe below is from my friend, Maria Lee.  It is a quick one-dish meal for either lunch or dinner - it has carbohydrate, protein and vegetable in it.  Serve with picked radish as a side dish.

Thai Style Cole Slaw

Fusion has becoming a trend in the foodie world.  This is mainly due to the adaptation of flavor, texture, or taste to accommodate the general public's palate.  At the same time, more and more Americans are exposed to ethnic foods through its myriad of immigrant population.  As a result, some chefs in the States have integrated two or more different cuisines or ingredients and come up with a new flavor and dish.  Chef Ming Tsai from his PBS show - Simply Ming calls it "East meets West".  Of course, fusion food actually is not a new phenomenon.  Older immigrants from Italy, England, Germany, and others had already influenced many of the American staple foods.  We would generally label them as "American" because of the fact that these fusion of food or ingredients have been long assimilated into the mainstream.

In any case, this Thai style cole slaw recipe is one of them.  The recipe comes from my culinary class.  It makes a good side dish or salad to either Western or Asian main course or BBQ.  It has a combination of peanut, sweet and tangy flavors and the texture is similar to regular cole slaw - crunchy.

Chinese Radish Cake aka Turnip or Daikon Cake

I have been missing from blogging for a couple of weeks now due to my cold/flu that is still lingering now, I can't wait until I am back to my normal health.  Every time I get really sick, I always appreciate it when I am healthy.  We always hear this saying - we take things, in this case - health for granted when we are well, and then realize what we are missing when we are sick.  Well, life goes on ...

In any case, here's a recipe for the radish/turnip/daikon cake.  For simplicity sake, I'll call it radish cake here.  It's typically served in Chinese dim sum in China, Hong Kong and overseas Chinatown restaurants.  This radish cake is also common in Chinese New Year celebration.  Like many Chinese food, there are symbols/meaning of certain food eaten at certain festivals, the same is true here but I forgot what why some Chinese eat the radish cake for New Year.  I will update this blog once I confirm it.  I try to make it once a year during Chinese New Year if I can.

It is usually cut into square-shaped slices and sometimes they are pan-fried before serving - to make the outside layer crunchy and soft on the inside.  This is a savory cake, nothing sweet about it.  It's delicious to dip it with a little hot sauce when it's ready to eat.

Zucchini with Scrambled Eggs

With leftover zucchini from the zucchini pie, I came up with this easy recipe for a quick dish.  It turned out to be surprisingly tasty and delicious, even my son liked it a lot.  It has both vegetables and protein in one dish in case you are in a hurry or have no time to cook fancy dish.

Zucchini Pie

This recipe is from my ex-colleague many years ago.  All of us wanted the recipe once we ate it at a gathering at her house.  She found it online - Raven Haven Bed & Breakfast in Mentone, Alabama (their specialty recipe).  I've made this pie countless times and it never fails to garner compliments from those who eat it, and some would asked for the recipe.  Most of all, it's super easy and fast to make with just a few ingredients.  All the ingredients combined gave a fragrant aroma in the air once it's baked that you can't wait to try it.  The texture is similar to quiche.  We've prepared this zucchini pie as a side dish to western/American food and it goes really well with steamed rice and Asian dishes, too.  For those of you who like spicy food, I find that Asian chili sauce surprisingly goes very well with this pie.

BBQ Baby Back Ribs

Baby Back Ribs are the rib meat from pork.  They are a bit more tender and meaty than beef ribs.  Tony Roma restaurant is famous for this type of ribs.  My husband & I used to go to Tony Roma once in a while to enjoy those delicious ribs along with their famous onion rings.

We got this simple recipe that tries to emulate Tony Roma's rib from one of my husband's friends.  We make it occasionally when having dinner guests or family gatherings.  Everyone seem to love it, especially kids. This is a totally wonderful dish, it tastes great and simple to make. The meats are so soft and tender that it easily falls off  the bones while you eat them.  The quality of the ribs seems to matter.  It happened to us a few times when the meat weren't as tender and juicy and I was pretty sure my husband didn't alter the recipe instructions in any way shape or form.  Anyway, here's the not-so-secret "secret" recipe for baby back rib ...

Geocaching Is Fun and Healthy Activity

 

This morning my family participated in a geocaching hike at Piccetti Ranch in Cupertino, CA, organized and sponsored by the Mid Peninsula Open Space Preserve (Mid-Pen Open Space for short) and REI.  It was our first time ever doing geocaching of any types.  Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting activity using GPS devices (handheld GPS, iPhone, or Android Phone). The basic idea is to locate hidden containers that may include family-friendly or general trinkets to trade (if you want), called geocaches.  They can be hidden anywhere outdoors - trails, creeks, parks, shopping malls, along freeways, in the water, just to name a few.  Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.  There are over 1.3 million active geocaches and over 5 million geocachers worldwide according to Geocaching.com - the official geocaching website.

Basil-Cayenne Baked Fries

My son is getting more and more adventurous with his culinary skills recently - adding or mixing up ingredients and coming up with his own recipes.  This is one of them.  He has made this bake fries recipe several times and he's good at it by now. 

It's the best baked fries we have tried so far - it's crunchy (of course, it's best to eat them right away), wonderful basil flavor and a bit tangy spiciness.  Best of all, it's healthier than regular french fries and it's quiet simple and easy to make.  We are hooked on baked fries these days.  Try it!  Below is his recipe through his own words.

Taiwanese Pineapple Cake

It's square, it has pineapple filling inside, and it's delicious.  They are sold in many Chinese markets under various brands, most of them are made in Taiwan.  You can also find them from local Taiwanese bakeries, such as Sheng Kee but nothing can top the pineapple cakes made at home.  I am fortunate to have friends from Taiwan and have been introduced to various types of Taiwanese food, this pineapple cake is of them.  Even before I make them at home, my husband used to love this cake.  He occasionally bought them at the market.

To make this cake, you will need the square molds.  I don't have them at the moment so I borrow from a friend of mine, Olivia.  I am not sure if you can get the molds here in the States, Olivia got hers from Taiwan.  I have to admit that I don't make the pineapple filling from scratch.  They are sold "ready for use" in Taiwan in baking stores and I got them from friends (or their husbands) who regularly go back to Taiwan.  See photo below.  Again, I don't know if you can find them here for personal use.  Note: it's not pure pineapple - it's combined with some winter melon.  I am not sure why they add winter melon, perhaps to make a better filling texture?

Taiwanese Pineapple Cake

Egg & Bread for Breakfast

My son enjoys cooking and concocting his own creation.  He saw a recipe that caught his interest in a cookbook, "MaterChef Cookbook" and came up with his own version of the "egg in purgatory".  His variation is very simple and easy to make, it's yummy and nutritious for a quick breakfast, it's almost like eating a toast except there's an egg in the middle. Here's the recipe in his own words and picture.

Lotus Stem Salad

I am always fond of South East Asian cuisine, maybe because I was born in Indonesia and it suits my palate - tropical sensation.  I feel "at home" when I eat South East Asian food.  Overall, there are some similarities in ingredients, taste and texture within these countries cooking.

This lotus stem salad is very similar to typical Thai salads, especially the dressing.  I have eaten this salad in a Vietnamese restaurant here in the Bay Area.  It was recommended by a friend of mine whose husband was originally from Vietnam.  I like it a lot since then but didn't know how to make it until I found the recipe from a Vietnamese cookbook - "Pleasures Of The Vietnamese Table" by Mai Pham.

Lotus stems are white thin spears, it has crunchy texture and the ability to absorb sauces well.  In the U.S., I can only find lotus stems (sometimes labeled lotus rootlets) packed in brine in jars (see photo below).  This salad is very refreshing (fresh herbs) with sweet and citrus flavor, perfect for warm weather.

Lotus Stem Salad

Asian Pasta

This fusion Asian pasta is very simple and easy to make, the best part is you can make it ahead of time (overnight even) if you have time constraint.  It's sweet and spicy with nutty texture.  You can delete the chili if preferred, it won't alter the overall taste.  This "cold" noodle dish goes well with summer BBQ party or picnic, or as a potluck dish. 

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

My son decided one day that he wanted to make blueberry muffins.  He browsed online and found this recipe from allrecipes.com.  It's so simple to make and yet it's the best muffin we have ever eaten so far - it's moist & not too sweet inside and crunchy on the outside.  So, if my 11 years old son can make it, I am sure you can too, try it.  In case you want it quick, here it is.