Recipe: Lap Cheong and Scallion Stuffed Cheesy Bread

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I wanted to test this idea of stuffing focaccia with cheese for another project and I decided to try it out with one of my favorite ingredient combos. To be honest, I can’t think of an exact traditional dish that combines lap cheong (sweet Chinese sausage), scallions, and cheese but they do make me think of the smells of a Taiwanese bakery where you can find hot dog buns, scallion buns, and the like.

Lap cheong can be found at any Asian market. This low sodium option from Kam Yen Jan is my favorite one to get. The casing is very thin and I like to peel it off and crumble the sausage by hand for more organically shaped pieces, but you could also just slice it up. It is a fatty, slightly sweet, and intense savory flavor that tends to be used in moderation in Chinese dishes. But this recipe is not about moderation!

I shared a photo of this in my Instagram stories and got a lot of reactions to it, but I don’t think the photo is quite insta-worthy so I am just going to share the recipe here.

How to Make Lap Cheong & Scallion Stuffed Cheesy Bread

Ingredients

2/3 cup warm water*
1 tsp honey
1 1/2 tsp dry active yeast
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/8 cup olive oil plus extra for drizzling
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3 lap cheong (sweet Chinese sausages)
1 cup grated fontina cheese (or mozzarella or white cheddar)
1 bunch scallions, chopped

* I have found that hot water from my tap works well for blooming yeast.

Procedure

In the bowl of your stand mixer, gently combine water, honey, and yeast. Allow the yeast to “bloom” for 5–10 minutes in a warm place until there is a fine foam on top.

Fit your stand mixer with the dough hook. Set the mixer to low speed and gradually add 1 3/4 cups flour, then 1/8 cup olive oil and salt. Turn up the speed of the mixer to medium-low and allow the dough to be kneaded for 4 minutes. If the dough has not pulled away from the sides of the bowl, add an additional 1 tablespoon of flour. Continue to knead for 1–2 minutes. Dough should be sticky but you should be able to easily remove it from the dough hook.

Scrape the dough out of the bowl and form a ball. Generously coat the inside of the bowl with olive oil. Roll the ball of dough around in the olive oil until coated. Cover with a damp towel and place in a warm spot to proof for 60 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.

In the meantime, remove the casing from the lap cheong and crumble into small pieces. Cook on medium heat in a small skillet until just heated through. Drain away excess rendered fat.

When the dough has had its first rest, gently fold in three-quarters of the chopped scallions and divide the dough in half. Coat the inside of a 10-inch cast iron skillet with olive oil. Use your fingers to gently press down half of the dough into the skillet, forming an even layer. Press the other half of the dough onto a large plate, to roughly the same size as the skillet. Cover both halves and let rest for another 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, place a rack one-third from the top of your oven and preheat to 400°F.

Press the relaxed dough in the skillet so it fully covers the bottom. Sprinkle the sausage on top and then roughly two-thirds of the cheese spread in an even layer. Top with the other half of the dough and pinch to seal the edges together. Dimple the surface of the dough with your fingers, drizzle generously with olive oil, and top with the remaining cheese and scallions.

Bake for 25–28 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. For neater bread sticks, allow to cool slightly before slicing—or, if you don’t care about that and live for danger, cut immediately and enjoy the skin-scalding gooeyness.

Food Photography with a Phone - Interview with the My Food Lens Podcast

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Yes, it’s true—everything that you see on this website, as well as my Instagram, to-date, was shot and edited on my iPhone X.

How I got here was entirely from a combination of happenstance and laziness but at this point, one thing I am most proud of with my work is becoming a champion of phone photography. If I can help others feel encouraged to see that the quality of a photo is about the skill of the photographer and not having “better” (read: more expensive) camera gear, I can die happy knowing I made a positive impact on the world, helping to make one form of artistic expression feel more accessible to more people.

My friend Dyutima recently gave me the opportunity to share this message by inviting me onto her podcast, My Food Lens. This was such a fun experience for me; being someone who doesn’t absorb information as well through audio input, I actually had never listened to a podcast at all prior to listening to my own interview! I was actually pretty shocked, and pleasantly surprised, that listening back to my own voice did not feel completely obnoxious to me, and I am so grateful for the positive feedback I have received so far. Dyutima made me feel like I was just chatting away with a friend that I was meeting “face to face” for the first time, after corresponding for so long via direct messages.

In the episode linked below, I tried to share answers to the following questions:

• Phones can be tricky because of their wide angle lens and lens distortion. What would be your 5 main tips for killer phone photography?

• How important is light in phone photography? How do you work with light shooting with a phone? Do you use manipulators, is there a specific part of the house you shoot in?

• What are your key styling techniques that are suited for photographing with a phone?

• What is your editing application of choice and are there any hacks you can share?

• Has photographing with a phone ever held you back from approaching clients or striking a deal?

• Is it challenging to work with brands if one photographs with a phone? How do you navigate through it?

• Who would you say phone photography is for? Influencers, social media content creators, professional photographers?

• If someone chooses to shoot with a phone, how can they grow as a photographer? What skills should they focus on to improve their photography?

If you’ve been wishing to learn more about my process for shooting and editing all my photos on my phone (including all my client work!), give one of these a listen:

Yee Sang (Prosperity Toss Salad)

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I wrote up a little recipe for Kvarøy Arctic Salmon to share how to incorporate salmon into a feast for the Lunar New Year. I really liked how the photos turned out—I tried to style the yee sang in a more modern, creative way. I’m really grateful to have sponsors that give me lots of freedom to tell me stories and represent my culture.

You can read more about yee sang and the symbolism of all the ingredients in my Instagram post.

Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo Ramen

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I grew up hardly knowing my own grandparents across the ocean, and it was just me, my parents, and my sister here in the States. But my parents' host mom—the woman who opened her home to them when they first arrived as immigrants—was from the Philippines and she continued to be a mother figure to my parents and a grandmother figure to me well after my parents got settled. I call her Lola, the Filipino term for a grandma. So even though I am not Filipino, I grew up eating lots of chicken adobo during visits to my Lola’s house.

I remember my Lola's version of chicken adobo being more tangy/vinegary and more brothy than other versions I've had at restaurants as an adult. There was something about that soy and vinegar sauce that was always so appetizing; the kind of thing that you have to reawaken your tastebuds when you don’t think you feel like eating. I felt I could drink it by the bowlful! Which is why I developed this fusion recipe where the chicken adobo braising liquid becomes the base for a noodle soup.

The key steps to making this recipe are:

• Browning the chicken. This renders out the excess fat from the chicken skin, giving you a glorious schmaltz that will be used later.

• Braising the chicken in a slow cooker. I opted to go the slow cooker route to keep the recipe low maintenance. The browned chicken thighs are given a chance to soak up the flavors from a braising liquid made up of soy sauce, vinegar, lots and lots of garlic, and black peppercorns.

• Making the broth. Blending together the strained braising liquid and all that soft garlic creates an emulsified broth that is rich and almost creamy. It has a much more concentrated flavor than a traditional soup ramen.

• Frying the garlic chips. That saved chicken fat goes into making the most delicious garnish of fried garlic chips, which in turn infuses the chicken fat with some of that garlic flavor.

• Frying the egg. Inspired by Filipino silog, I decided this ramen needs to get topped with a beautiful fried egg.

• Boiling the noodles and assembling the bowl. I chose to keep the thigh whole but you can also shred it up before serving if you don’t want the recipients to have to maneuver with the bone.

• Finally, that schmaltzy goodness from before gets drizzled over the whole bowl as a finishing touch at the end.

Click here to get the recipe on the Pete and Gerry’s site!

Thank you so much to Pete and Gerry’s for sponsoring this recipe!

Recipe: Lobster Bao with Ginger and Garlic Butter

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Here’s an easy recipe idea for if your Chinese New Year celebrations are on the smaller scale this year. I took the idea of combining lobster with melted butter from a Connecticut style lobster roll and put an Chinese-inspired twist to it by adding aromatics such as ginger, garlic, and scallions into the butter. I stuffed the fragrant lobster meat into steamed bao, which can be bought from an Asian grocery store and stashed in your freezer.

I think of lobster as a celebratory food. It is often a part of Chinese New Year menus and other celebratory banquets where expensive seafood is served as a sign of prosperity. It is also red, a lucky color in Chinese cuisine. As I was researching Lunar New Year foods and customs, though, I learned that some believe lobster to be unlucky for the new year because they can crawl backward. This was my first time learning such a contradiction among different cultures that celebrate this holiday and I thought it was super interesting that this contrast existed. If you plan to make this recipe as part of your own celebration, please do proceed with caution that some consider lobsters a lucky part of a Lunar New Year meal while others might consider it less auspicious.

Stuffed bao represent little purses and are also considered a lucky food in Chinese culture. Many of the foods with good symbolism for the new year are meant to represent something having to do with wealth and prosperity. The more luxurious the ingredients, the better to welcome in the new year, but I wanted my more modern recipe to be more accessible, too. I used precooked lobster and tobiko for the bao you see in the photos but you could certainly upgrade to more high end ingredients if you wish.

How to Make Lobster Bao with Ginger and Garlic Butter

Ingredients

8 oz pre-cooked lobster meat*
2 frozen storebought baos
1/4 cup salted butter
2 inches of ginger, peeled
2–3 cloves garlic, minced
white parts of 2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tsp chives, chopped
2 tsp tobiko or caviar
yellow edible flowers, for garnish (optional)

*I used a thawed frozen pack of cooked knuckle and claw meat. Alternatively, you could blanch a couple of lobster tails, discard the shells, and chop the meat into chunks.

Procedure

Drain any excess liquid from the lobster meat and set meat aside.

Finely grate the ginger, then gently squeeze out the excess water. You do not need to wring out all the moisture; the ginger should feel like a damp clump.

Prepare the bao. Place them in a parchment paper lined steamer, and place the steamer over simmering water in a wok or pan. Steam until the bao are soft and fluffy and heated through, about 5 minutes. Shut off the heat.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan on medium-low heat. Add the ginger and the scallion whites and allow to fry gently, stirring continuously, until the aromatics just start to color. Add the garlic and turn down the heat to low; continue to stir, allowing the garlic to slowly cook and infuse the butter. When the garlic just starts to color, add the lobster meat. Toss together to coat the lobster in the butter then remove from the heat.

Stuff the lobster pieces equally in the bao and serve the extra butter on the side. Top the lobster with chives and fish roe (tobiko or caviar).

Optionally, decorate with some edible yellow flower petals to complete that lucky red and gold color combo before serving.

Recipe: Eggs in Easy Red Pepper Sauce with Chili Butter

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I love myself some shakshuka but there is just one problem: every time I think about making it, I am hit with anxiety over how the eggs will turn out. Either I make the wells in the sauce too small and the egg whites end up running away all over the surface of the dish or the yolk ends up breaking or getting overcooked. I have tried maybe over a dozen times and getting those perfect sunny-side-up eggs poached in the shakshuka tomato sauce has felt completely impossible (I am now convinced that all those photos online of perfect shakshuka were photoshopped).

So, I started brainstorming ideas for shakshuka-adjacent recipes that are just as big on flavor and runny egg deliciousness without the anxiety. I feel confident in my ability to make regular poached eggs, so this recipe involves making the sauce and eggs separately and then plating them together at the end to form a low-stress dish that you won’t be able to resist scooping into with a nice crusty piece of toast.

For the sauce, I thought I’d go for something as easy as possible, which is one of those sauces where you literally just throw everything in a blender and blitz it together. Since it is not tomato season at the moment and I have been feeling rather uninspired by the winter produce that is in season, it was a good time for me to play around with just using up pantry items. Whether you are still burnt out from cooking up a storm during the holidays or you are just feeling lazy about venturing out to the grocery store in the cold, this is the recipe for you. The sauce is inspired by romesco sauce, a Catalonian roasted tomato and pepper sauce, but it utilizes jarred bell peppers and tomato paste instead. To make up for the sort of one-note flavors of the jarred ingredients, seasoning is everything in a blender sauce like this! I reached for my go-to all purpose seasoning blend—Spice Tribe’s Haitian-inspired Mama Manje—and it instantly transformed the sauce from tasting rather flat and bland to having incredible depth of flavor. I’ve found in general that this seasoning blend is capable of rescuing anything from blandness with its unique combination of green bell pepper, onion, thyme, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, habanero, and star anise.

And then to add a little something extra to the dish, it all gets finished off with my favorite recipe for chili butter. The dish has plenty of flavor already with the romesco-like sauce and the perfectly poached eggs nestled into it, and a sprinkle of fresh herbs and cheese, but a finishing touch of melted butter infused with Spice Tribe Maras chile flakes takes the whole thing from a casual breakfast affair to an indulgent brunch for kicking off a gorgeous lazy Sunday. There is just something about the flavor that blooms out of bubbling together some salted butter and those chile flakes that is so good with those luscious runny egg yolks. It’s the kind of melted chili butter you’d typically find on top of Turkish eggs or çılbır and I started making it when I developed this recipe for Spice Tribe but I find myself finishing off many dishes this way.

This dish is simple to make but it certainly won’t taste like it! It’s also pretty flexible as long as you capture the basic ideas. Here are the different components that make up the dish:

• The sauce: Kind of inspired by Spanish romesco sauce but way way easier because you just throw jarred bell peppers, almonds, tomato paste, good quality spices, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar into a blender and blend until smooth. You can use whatever almonds you have on hand as long as they are unsalted, and you might even be able to get away with salted almonds and just not add more salt. Don’t skimp on the Spice Tribe Mama Manje blend though, or you’ll end up with something that tastes rather flat and boring.

• Eggs: The soft poached eggs with runny yolks that ooze into the yummy sauce are what make the dish, in my opinion. But if you don’t feel confident in your ability to poach eggs, fried eggs would also work great for this dish. Soft-boiled eggs, boiled for 6–7 minutes, would also be amazing. It’s meant to be low-stress so do what is easiest for you.

• Fresh herbs and cheese on top: A little bit of freshness from some green herbs and some extra creamy umami from cheese are not critical, but they do much to enhance the dish in terms of taste, texture, and visual impressiveness. You can definitely use whatever herbs and crumbly cheeses you have on hand.

• Melted chili butter drizzle: The finishing touch, this is what takes the dish to another level of brunch luxury, to see the spicy butter flow and pool in all the swirls of the sauce. And this extra little step is super easy too—just melt some butter, add the Spice Tribe Maras chile flakes, and allow the flavor the bubble and bloom for a bit before spooning it over your masterpiece.

How to Make Eggs in Easy Red Pepper Sauce with Chili Butter

Ingredients For the Red Pepper Sauce

12 ounces jarred roasted red bell peppers, drained
1/3 cup unsalted roasted almonds, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons Spice Tribe Pimentón de la Vera
1/2 teaspoon Spice Tribe Mama Manje Haitian Blend
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)

Ingredients For the Chili butter

1/4 cup salted butter
2 teaspoons Spice Tribe Maras Chile Flakes

Ingredients to Assemble the Dish

4 eggs, poached
1/4 cup queso fresco or feta, crumbled
Fresh herbs, such as parsley or dill, for garnish
Black pepper, to taste
Toasts, for serving

Procedure

Combine all sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a small pot and simmer on low until heated through and slightly thickened, about 5–10 minutes.

In a separate small saucepan, melt butter on low. Just as butter starts to bubble, add the Spice Tribe Maras chile flakes. Stir gently and continuously until foamy and fragrant. Remove from heat.

Spoon sauce into serving bowl(s). Nestle poached eggs into the sauce and top with cheese, herbs, and pepper as desired. Briefly warm up spicy butter again if needed, then pour over the plated ingredients. Serve with toasts on the side.

Thank you so much to Spice Tribe for sponsoring this recipe! Check them out on Instagram here or visit their website to purchase high quality spices and unique small-batch spice blends.

Recipe: Cheesy Prosciutto and Pesto Puff Pastry Tarts

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For this recipe, I partnered with Filippo Berio to share an idea for an unfussy snack or appetizer that is perfect for last-minute gatherings during the holidays. These little handheld tarts capture all the elements of a nibble board—two kinds of cheeses, salty prosciutto, a nice savory condiment, sweetness from the pomegranate arils, and herbaceous basil leaves for freshness—but everything is encased in a lovely, elegant looking puff pastry. 

In no way am I trying to knock nibble boards or charcuterie boards, but have you ever tried actually enjoying one of these at a party? You wait for that break in the conversations when someone else is sharing an anecdote so you don’t have to talk, and—excited to seize the opportunity to enjoy some delicious cheese and charcuterie piled onto a delicious crispy cracker—you take that long awaited bite, only for the cracker to shatter embarrassingly as it makes contact with your teeth, causing all its precariously-placed toppings to fly everywhere. Perhaps I can only speak from personal experience but if so, I am saving you from ever meeting that terrible fate by telling you to make this recipe instead.

I always keep a stockpile of Filippo Berio pestos on hand because they are so super convenient. They are great for when I am too busy to make dinner and need something to toss together with the frozen ravioli I always keep in the freezer and I also find them so useful for when I need a bold tasting condiment for things like toasts, snack or salad platters, and sandwiches.

Much like putting together a nibble board or charcuterie board is choosing your own eating adventure, so are these tarts. Each component could be swapped out for something else in the same category that better suits your tastes. Only one of the cheeses gets baked into the puff pastry tart shells, and then everything else gets added after baking. We’re kind of treating the pastry as a slice of toast, but the delicate buttery layers will feel so much more like a special occasion. These tarts are a great way to upcycle what you happen to have in your fridge, and the pesto will really help to bring all the elements together.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Frozen puff pastry dough: Having a stash of this in your freezer will allow you to make elegant and impressive baked delicacies with minimal effort. I usually thaw mine in the fridge overnight but in a pinch, a brief stint on the countertop should be enough. For this recipe, you just need to be able to easily score the dough, so even partially thawed would be fine if you have surprise holiday visitors; you may just need to add a couple minutes to the baking time.

• Freshly-grated fontina: I love the way the savory, nutty flavors of fontina work in this savory tart, but any smooth semi-hard cheese would work here. Always remember to grate it yourself instead of using pre-grated stuff, for the right kind of melty goodness!

• Burrata: I am obsessed with burrata! There is something about those loose, creamy cheese curds that just feels like such an indulgence to me. If you have trouble finding burrata I would suggest substituting a fresh ricotta, but even a creamy soft chevre would be yummy here!

• Prosciutto: Sliced so thin that you can almost see through it, prosciutto is a go-to charcuterie choice in my household. I think its delicate appearance contributes to the appeal of these tarts. 

• Filippo Berio Classic Pesto: I find that having some kind of tasty herbaceous condiment really helps tie everything together when combining elements of sweet and savory, so this convenient version of traditional Genovese pesto really hits the spot.

• Pomegranate Arils: I love how these let out a nice, juicy, slightly tart burst as they pop in your mouth. Not only are these the sweet component of the tarts, but I also think that adding these plus leafy herbs to any dish instantly makes it look festive, kind of like holly. However, I think swapping in kumquat slices or even thinly sliced pears or apples would work well here if that’s what you have.

How to Make Cheesy Prosciutto and Pesto Puff Pastry Tarts

Ingredients

1 sheet frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed
flour, for dusting
1 egg, beaten, for eggwash (optional)
1 packed cup fontina cheese, freshly grated
4 oz burrata
2–3 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
4–6 tsp Filippo Berio Classic Pesto
3–4 tbsp pomegranate arils
fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Procedure

Preheat oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Dust worksurface with flour and unfold puff pastry sheet. Gently roll out puff pastry dough to smooth out any creases and create an even rectangle about 1/6-inch thick. Cut sheet into 4 equal pieces (about 4” x 5 1/2”). Place puff pastry pieces on prepared baking sheet, at least 1 inch apart.

Using the tip of a sharp knife, score a rectangle into each piece of puff pastry, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch inward from the edges. If using eggwash, brush a small amount onto the outer frames only, taking care to avoid excess eggwash from dripping over the edge of the dough or inside the scored line (which would seal the pastry layers together and prevent them from puffing); discard or store remaining egg.

Divide the grated cheese onto the centers of each piece of puff pastry. Bake for 10–14 minutes, or until tarts are puffy and golden. 

Immediately tear up burrata and divide evenly among the baked tarts, allowing the residual heat to melt it slightly. Roughly tear prosciutto and place onto the tarts, then drizzle pesto over each. Top with pomegranate arils and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Thank you so much to Filippo Berio for sponsoring this recipe! Visit their website to learn more about their authentic olive oils, made to the highest quality standard of excellence and craftsmanship.

Recipe: Tomato Soup with Pepperoni and Cheese Toast Tops

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So we all know that the very best part of French onion soup is the bread and cheese topper that goes over the soup: that delicious gratinated crostini that forms a lid for you to push through to get to the rest of the contents of the bowl, where the top is covered in a very generous layer of melted cheese and the underside is soaked through with the cozy, soul-warming broth. I learned a new word as I was researching for this recipe, and that word was gratinated—which, according to ol’ Merriam and Webster means “to cook with a covering of buttered crumbs or grated cheese until a crust or crisp surface forms”. Well, why can’t other soups have gratinated toasts as blankets to keep them warm?

They obviously, surely, can and may—and I thought there was no more deserving soup than a simple tomato one. We all already know that tomato soup pairs perfectly with toasted bread and melted cheese, seeing as a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup has long had a honorary place in the Culinary Couples Hall of Fame. So I decided to take this union to the next level by taking my trusty, amazingly easy tomato soup recipe and give it a melted cheese toastie top. But then my mind went to how tomato soup is basically like a brothy tomato sauce, and how tomato sauce + bread + melted cheese = pizza toast, and how pepperoni and cheese is the ultimate pizza combo…and that is how we ended up here: tomato soup with pepperoni and cheese toast tops.

And it is every bit as good as you might dream it would be.

Some notes about the ingredients for my tomato soup with pepperoni and cheese toppers:

• The base of this recipe is whole peeled canned tomatoes. There are a lot of varieties out there and I have found quite a vast difference in salt content and the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. Therefore, this recipe has lots of notes about tasting along the way and seasoning according to your tastes. You might also notice that whole peeled canned tomatoes sometimes come in purée and other times come in a thin liquid. You will want to add more liquid to the soup if you are using ones that come with a thick purée. Do they really have to be San Marzano style? No. But it is typically what I look for because…just because.

• My go-to way of seasoning any tomato-based sauce or soup is with fish sauce. Trust me on this one. There is something about the acidity of the tomatoes and the salty, funky fish sauce umami that works so well for bringing out the best of tomato flavor. I promise that it won’t actually taste like fish, but instead like tomatoes that have been cooked with love and with some sort of flavorsome mystery ingredient. I am a diehard fan of the Three Crabs brand of fish sauce, by the way.

• Check the size of your bread. You will want something that can lie flat against the surface of the soup inside the soup crock, so that it forms a nice topper over the soup without the edges getting burned. You will also want something nice and crusty, so that it doesn’t completely disintegrate the moment it is placed on top of the soup. You’ll be toasting it first, and then putting it on top of the soup, and then melting the cheese over it under the broiler.

• Use the type of cheese that works for you but make sure it’s freshly grated. Any semi-hard white block cheese should work well for this; I used a young gouda but you could go with mozzarella or pay homage to the French onion soup inspiration with gruyere. Any cheese you associate with melting. But be sure to grate it yourself instead of using the pre-grated stuff in order to get a nice cohesive consistency.

• And finally, how do I turn pepperoni into those iconic, inviting little cups of grease? I get a whole stick of pepperoni in natural casing and slice it myself. This article on Serious Eats goes into detail about what type of pepperoni gets cuppy when cooked. I used Boar’s Head Natural Casing Traditional Pepperoni and it has always served me well. (Shoutout to my friend Peggy for pointing me in the right direction on this.)

That all being said, this recipe is so dang flexible. Skip the pepperoni if you want. Use a few tiny baguette slices instead of one slice of toast covering the whole top. Use a damn boxed tomato soup if you really must. At the end of the day you are talking about tomatoes, bread, cheese, and some fire magic to melt it all together, and (as long as you are being safe about that fire bit) you’re gonna end up with something good.

How to Make Tomato Soup with Pepperoni & Cheese Toast Tops

Ingredients for Soup

1/4 cup butter
1 medium sweet onion, peeled and cut into wedges
6–8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 28-oz can of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes*
1–2 tsp fish sauce
1–2 tsp sugar (optional)
cracked black pepper, to taste (optional)

Ingredients for Toast Toppers

2 small slices crusty bread**
1+ cup freshly grated cheese, such as young gouda, gruyere, monterey jack, or mozzarella
8–12 slices pepperoni with natural casing
herbs for garnish, such as basil, thyme, or oregano

*If using “tomatoes in purée”, see extra note in Procedure.
**Check that the bread slices fit within your soup crocks in order to form a “topper” over the soup

Procedure

In a medium dutch oven or pot, melt butter on medium-low heat. Add onions and sweat until they turn translucent and edges are beginning to caramelize. Add garlic, turn heat down to low, and stir regularly until garlic is fragrant and starts to turn golden. Add can of tomatoes.

Scrape up any bits stuck to the pot and carefully transfer contents of pot to a blender. Add 3/4 cup water (or, if using “tomatoes in purée” add 1 1/4 cup water). Blend until liquified, then pour back into pot.

Stir in 1 teaspoon of fish sauce. Check for seasoning. If soup tastes a bit weak in tomato flavor, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar.

Simmer uncovered on low, stirring occasionally, until soup is heated through and starts to bubble or simmer. Check for seasoning again and add additional fish sauce or sugar as needed. Season with black pepper if desired. Cover and keep warm.

Lightly toast slices of bread with your preferred method of toasting.

Spoon soup into 2 oven-safe soup crocks. Top each with a piece of toast. Divide cheese between the two toasts.

Position an oven rack so crocks can be close to the broiler flame. For easy transportation, place crocks on a sturdy sheet pan before positioning under broiler. Watch carefully while broiling. Broil until cheese just starts to melt, then top cheese toasts with pepperoni and continue to broil until cheese is completely melted and pepperoni has curled up to form cups. (Alternatively, you could follow these same steps using a kitchen blowtorch instead of a broiler if you make sure to move the torch around to distribute heat evenly.)

Remove soup crocks and garnish with fresh herbs before serving.

One last reminder about safety…I consider this recipe to be pretty easy but it does involve FIRE. Whether you choose to use your oven’s broiler setting or a blowtorch, keep a close watch on your precious soup toppers. Once the cheese starts to melt, you’ll be surprised how quickly it can die a charred death under an unsupervised broiler. Use oven-safe containers. Don’t let your bread catch on fire. Basically, you don’t want yourself or your culinary creation to end up like Andy:

Image via @foone on Twitter, from Apple’s Oregon Trail

Recipe: Chicken and (Chinese) Dumplings

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Having grown up in a household where at least 4 different languages/dialects were randomly slung around, it is no wonder that I was linguistically confused throughout my childhood. My parents were young kids when Malaysia got its independence from the British, so the English I learned from them at home was the British English (with a Malaysian twist) they learned there, and there were always random words from Cantonese, Hokkien, and Bahasa Malaysia sprinkled in. So imagine my confusion as a child going to school for the first time in America; I thought  “airplane” and “aeroplane” were two different forms of aircrafts and I spent my childhood being a rather quiet kid because I was just so worried about saying the wrong words all the time. Fortunately, I eventually learned enough American English to earn a degree in it, and those days of me being quiet are long over!

Even so, these semantic quirks seemed to continue well into my adulthood. Back when I had a sad job as a textbook editor with no time to go out for lunch breaks, I bought some cans of chicken and dumplings to bring to the office. I guess the image on the can was not enough to inform me otherwise, and I excitedly pictured myself microwaving a nice cozy bowl of creamy American style soup (which I loved) loaded with the wontons from the dumpling soup of my childhood. Up until that point, the only dumplings I knew of were Asian dumplings. So boy was I surprised when out of the can plopped some lumps of solid dough in place of the meat-stuffed purses I imagined.

I grew to appreciate those strange (to me) dough globs bobbing in what I learned was a classic comfort food of the American South. But I always thought that my interpretation of chicken and (Chinese) dumplings needed to exist too! I love having partners like Filippo Berio who are willing to entertain my weird personal stories and support me in turning them into reality. Since we were already breaking away from the norm, I decided to use Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil to sauté my veggies and cook flour into a sort of roux-like base that gives this winter warmer its body and heartiness. Olive oils may be associated with Mediterranean cooking, but they can be used to create a variety of dishes from around the world; Filippo Berio offers a whole range of high quality olive oils with different properties and flavor profiles, depending on what type of cooking you are doing. I used their extra virgin olive oil because I knew it would bring a richness to the dish as well as a beautiful golden color; if my soup looks a little more glowy and inviting than the typical pale chicken and dumplings, that’s why!

Some notes about the ingredients:

• Boxed broth is absolutely fine for this recipe, but I encourage you to save up your produce scraps, chicken bones, and leftover Thanksgiving turkey carcass and make your own delicious no-waste broth! You can read about how to do that in my previous post with Filippo Berio right here.

• Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil is fruity and grassy and I love it for sautéing vegetables. Though this recipe does not involve making a traditional roux, sautéing the vegetables in this oil and then adding a little bit of flour to the mix is what helps give this soup body and adds to its complexity of flavor.

• I’m calling this recipe “chicken and dumplings” but in this case, the chicken is actually IN the dumplings! Ground chicken and mild leeks are the main ingredients in the dumpling filling. If you can find it, go for ground chicken thigh meat which is more moist. And be sure to only use the tender white and light green portions of the leek.

• I use shaoxing wine and soy sauce for this recipe, not just in the dumplings but to season the soup as well. It is a fusion dish, after all! If you do not have shaoxing wine, you can sub in dry sherry in a pinch.

• If you go to an Asian grocery store for your dumpling wrappers, you may be spoilt for choice. Since these dumplings are going to be boiled, most options will work for this recipe no problem. I usually get the ones that are for potstickers.

How to Make Chicken and (Chinese) Dumplings

Ingredients for the Dumplings

1/2 lb ground chicken
1 cup leeks (light tender parts only), finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 sprig (1–2 tsp) rosemary leaves , finely chopped
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp salt
18–20 round dumpling wrappers

Ingredients for Soup

1/3 cup Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
2 tbsp AP flour
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
3 cups unsalted or low sodium chicken or turkey broth
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 tsp soy sauce
2 dried bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
3/4 cup evaporated milk
fresh herbs (such as oregano, rosemary, or thyme), for garnish (optional)

Procedure

To make the dumplings, combine all of the listed dumpling ingredients (except the wrappers!) in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of filling into the middle of a wrapper. Dip a finger into water and paint a wet ring along the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half to seal in the filling, taking care to press out air bubbles. If desired, bring the two sides of the semicircle together and overlap to form a loop, using water to help stick the dough together; or, fold to your desired dumpling shape. Place on a tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all the filling is secured into dumplings. Refrigerate dumplings until ready to use.

Add Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil to a soup pot on medium-high heat. Add onion and when it starts to sizzle, sauté until it begins to turn translucent. Add carrots and celery and sauté for 1 minute, then add garlic and salt. Sauté until the garlic begins to color and carrots and celery start to soften, about 4–5 minutes. Sprinkle flour and pepper into the pot and cook, stirring, until the flour at the bottom of the pot begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes. 

Gradually stir in the broth, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to scrape up the flour and make sure it incorporates with the broth without clumping. Stir in shaoxing wine, soy sauce, bay leaves, and dried oregano. When the soup begins to bubble, turn heat to the lowest setting and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until carrots are almost the desired tenderness. 

Add peas and evaporated milk. Stir together and season with salt to taste. Turn up heat to high and gently add the dumplings, making sure they are fully submerged in the liquid. Allow the dumplings to cook through, about 4–5 minutes.

Spoon into bowls, making sure everyone gets enough of all the goodies, especially the dumplings. Optionally, garnish with fresh herbs before serving.

Thank you so much to Filippo Berio for sponsoring this recipe! Visit their website to learn more about their authentic olive oils, made to the highest quality standard of excellence and craftsmanship.

Loaded Sweet Potato Breakfast “Toasts”

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For this recipe, I’ve swapped out my usual beloved toasted bread for autumnal slabs of roasted sweet potato and topped them with twists on all the goodies from a big savory breakfast.

• roasted sweet potato slices: These serve as the main carb here, and the vehicle for transporting all the other delicious toppings to your main face hole. Sweet potatoes have that subtle natural sweetness that is in all good fall recipes. Roasting them turns them into soft comfort food, yet they stay sturdy enough to act as “toasts”.

• crispy prosciutto: Crisping up the prosciutto on the same sheet pan while you’re roasting the sweet potatoes turns them into these super savory chips that are like a dainty version of bacon.

• cheddarized scrambled eggs: This is what I call my favorite way to make scrambled eggs. They’re based off Gordon Ramsey’s low and slow method but at the very end before the eggs are fully cooked, some sharp cheddar gets folded in so there’s also gooey, melty cheesiness in the mix.

• crème fraîche: Inspired by the sour cream that tops a perfect loaded baked potato, I finished these off with a dollop of crème fraîche to pull everything together before sprinkling on a little bit of fresh thyme and microgreens for freshness, and some smoky paprika.

Click here to get the recipe on the Pete and Gerry’s site!

Thank you so much to Pete and Gerry’s for sponsoring this recipe!

Recipe: Cheddar Scallion Black Pepper Biscuits with Pressed Flowers

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Here is another version of (what I think is) my relatively unfussy biscuit recipe. People tend to get lured in by the flowers and I don’t blame them—flowers are pretty and it brings me great joy to be able to spend some time focusing on making something pretty with them. But I always make sure that my pretty, flowery, insta-worthy food actually tastes good. That’s the important part, the part that is worth using the ingredients and spending the time to put them together. You can definitely skip the flowers entirely for this, and what you will end up with instead is a really tasty biscuit with lots of lovely visible layers. The kind you can split open in half without a knife because the layers are so nicely defined—that’s when you know it’s good. And what all my biscuit recipes try to teach you is the easiest way I’ve found to accomplish that.

You guys, I’m pretty lazy when it comes to baking. I definitely don’t have the patience for lamination, for taking my baked goods on multiple trips in and out of the freezer or refrigerator, etc. So the way I create layers in my bakes is based on the “rough puff” method of making puff pastry where cold butter gets mixed right into the dough. I’ve found that this can be done even more efficiently by freezing all the butter (just pop it all in the freezer the night before) and then grating it on a box grater. No “cutting into pea-sized crumbs”. Just get your hands as cold as you can and then grate as fast as you can before the butter softens. It’s a little messy, but easy. And you get your layers.

Here are a couple other recipes that use the same base biscuit recipe:

• Biscuits Two Ways: Learn how to split a batch of biscuit dough into a sweet and a savory version so you can please everyone!

• Cheesy Curry Biscuits with Miso Honey Butter: An even bigger flavor punch of a biscuit, inspired by a local Asian fusion bakery.

All the decorations you see are from my backyard garden. I used mostly violas here, but there is also lemon balm, parsley, thyme, and clover. Be sure to consult multiple reputable sources before determining if something is safe to eat. I get asked a lot about where to buy edible flowers; I think farmers’ markets are probably your best bet.

How to Make Cheddar Scallion Black Pepper Biscuits

(Makes about 14 biscuits)

Ingredients for Biscuits

10 tbsp butter, frozen
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra bench flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp sugar
3–4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
kosher salt
1 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2/3 packed cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (~6 oz)
3–4 scallions, chopped
edible flowers and herbs, for decoration
olive oil, for brushing the tops

Procedure

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, black pepper, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl and whisk together.

Use a box grater to grate in the frozen butter, tossing together with the dry ingredients as you go, to avoid clumps. Then toss the butter and dry ingredients together gently so each shaving of butter is separated and coated with the dry ingredients.

Stir up your Greek yogurt to be an even consistency. If it is super thick, add a teaspoon of water to thin it out.

In a small bowl, toss the cheese and scallions so they are evenly combined. Add these to the dough base and toss together until ingredients are evenly distributed. Create a well in the center. Pour yogurt in the well, then use a fork to slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the wet yogurt. Once all the yogurt is absorbed, use your hands to gather the dough together and fold it on itself a few times until it is a cohesive dough.

Preheat your oven to 425°F.

You will be creating layers in the biscuits by doing three sets of letter folds; you will also want to keep everything as cold as you can, so work quickly with cold hands. Dust your work surface with flour and do so generously throughout the process as needed to prevent sticking. Shape the dough into a rectangle with your hands then roll it out until roughly 9” wide by 12” tall. Fold down the top third and then fold up the bottom third (like you would fold a letter). Rotate 90 degrees and repeat the shaping and folding. Rotate again then do the process one more time, so you have done 3 sets of letter folds total.

Roll out your dough to a little larger than 9” x 12” one more time. Using a floured 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut out 12 biscuits by pushing the cutter firmly through the dough (it should make a satisfying *whoosh* sound) and then lifting it straight up each time. Do not twist the cutter. (I messed up in the photos and only cut 11, but you should definitely be able to do 12!) After cutting out 12 round biscuits, you can fold together the scraps until you get a rectangular slab and cut that into 2 square biscuits too.

Place biscuits on a parchment-lined baking tray. Gently press edible flowers and herb leaves on top of the biscuits for decoration if you desire. The flatter they are pressed directly against the surface of the biscuit, the more likely they will keep their shape when baking. Brush a thin layer of olive oil over the flowers and herbs, which will help preserve them as they bake too. Freeze the biscuits for 10 minutes.

Bake for 15–17 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden.

Recipe: Turkey and Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Shells in Butternut Squash Sauce

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When the weather starts to cool, I feel this uncontrollable compulsion to buy and roast a butternut squash. I know it is totally basic but my brain feels like it has been hard-wired to crave fall squashes with their subtle natural sweetness once it finally starts to feel like fall in San Francisco. Luckily, butternut squash purée is so versatile! Roasted in the oven with a bit of good olive oil, salt, and pepper and then whizzed up in the blender with some boxed broth and nutmeg, it can then be used for so many different dishes just by tweaking the amount of liquid added. A thick purée makes for a lovely spread on toast, a slightly thinner one becomes wonderful fall pasta sauce, and an even thinner consistency gives you a nice butternut squash soup with just those six ingredients.

This year, for my first roasted butternut squash purée of the season, was the first time I incorporated real, freshly grated nutmeg into the mix. Instead of the ol’ spice jar of powdered nutmeg I’ve had in my cupboard for almost a decade, I reached for a real life nutmeg nut from Spice Tribe and it smelled so incredible as the fine shavings were released into the blender. A little bit goes a long way with nutmeg, but it is truly the secret ingredient that puts the fall vibes in the butternut squash purée, and using a high quality version really does make it feel like something special.

I think I have been making a butternut squash lasagna every fall for almost my whole adult life, but this year, I learned of the joys of stuffed pasta shells and I have clearly been missing out until now. I don’t know why but I am utterly fascinated by the concept of a pasta that is shaped just like a seashell being stuffed with loads of cheese, herbs, and other goodies. Whoever first came up with this idea was so creative! I know the classic way to do them is with a tomato sauce but I think that my butternut squash sauce is the perfect base for a fall version.

This version of stuffed shells has smooth butternut squash purée with a hint of nutmeg for the base, and they are filled to the brim with seasoned ground turkey, sun-dried tomatoes, ricotta, mozzarella, and a bunch of herbs reminiscent of a good Thanksgiving stuffing. You’ll be surprised how much filling one of these pasta shells can hold, and biting into one of these is quite a feast of flavor!

When I make savory fall dishes, I find myself reaching for Spice Tribe’s Masa Mole blend. It contains ancho chile, guajillo chile, cumin, cinnamon, garlic, onion, allspice, oregano, chipotle and I think of this blend of warming chile powders and spices as a savory equivalent to “pumpkin spice” when it comes to bringing out all the flavors that I want to enjoy with my fall vibes. I used it to season my ground turkey in this recipe, and it instantly transformed the mince into a cozy, flavorful base for my pasta shell filling.

The making of this hearty autumnal dish has the following stages:

• Roasting the butternut squash: I like to do this the night before since it is safer and easier to run things through the blender when they are cooled. Make sure to roast it until the edges get a little browned and caramelized. That’s what gives the sauce so much good flavor with so few ingredients.

• Making the sauce: Blending up all the roasted squash with freshly grated Spice Tribe Island Nutmeg and some boxed chicken broth transforms it into a smooth autumnal pasta sauce.

• Making the filling: Cooking up the ground turkey with some Spice Tribe Masa Mole seasoning blend brings warm spices and the flavor of smoky chilies into the mix. Lots of herbs help give this filling its robust flavors. The sun-dried tomatoes bring a nice little tartness to balance out the creamy cheeses.

• Stuffing the shells: Par-boiling the pasta shells and stuffing them with the turkey, sun-dried tomato, and cheese mixture is the most fun part (aside from eating, of course). Unlike with dumplings, there’s not a lot of downside to really packing the filling in there; I was amazed at how sturdy the shells were and how much I could cram in them.

• Baking until bubbly and melty: Giving the cheese some time in the oven to melt is what transforms this dish into a completely indulgent, gooey skillet of fall pasta goodness. This dish is not exactly light, but it is delicious!

How to Make Turkey & Sundried Tomato Stuffed Shells in Butternut Squash Sauce

Ingredients For the Sauce

about 2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and seeded
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp Spice Tribe Island Nutmeg, freshly grated
3/4 – 1 cup chicken broth

Ingredients For the Filling

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 small yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
6 oz ground turkey
2 tsp Spice Tribe Masa Mole blend
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 cup ricotta, excess water drained
~ 1 tbsp thyme, leaves picked
1 tbsp sage, finely chopped
1 handful basil leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes*, chopped into 1/4” pieces
1 egg, beaten
1 cup mozzarella, freshly grated

Ingredients For the Stuffed Shells

18 jumbo pasta shells, plus extra for backup
3/4–1 cup mozzarella, freshly grated
~8 sage leaves
1 sprig thyme
cooking spray
fresh herbs for garnish, such as basil and oregano

*Look for sundried tomatoes that are packed in oil with minimal additives.

To make the butternut squash sauce, preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut butternut squash into chunks, about 10–12 pieces. Add squash pieces to a baking dish and add olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss until the pieces are evenly coated. Bake for 30 minutes, flip over squash pieces, and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until very tender. Allow to cool slightly. (Note: Squash can be roasted the night before.)

Transfer roasted butternut squash and any oil from the baking dish into a blender. Add nutmeg and 3/4 cup chicken broth and blend on high until smooth. Sauce should be similar in thickness to marinara sauce; if needed, add more broth and blend again. Set sauce aside. 

To make the filling, heat oil in a nonstick skillet on medium heat, then add onions. Start sautéing and turn heat down to low once onions start to brown. Continue to allow the onions to caramelize, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Turn heat back up to medium and add turkey, salt, pepper, Spice Tribe Masa Mole blend, and brown sugar. Sauté mixture until turkey is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly.

To the cooled turkey mixture, add ricotta cheese, chopped herbs, sundried tomatoes, and 1 cup mozzarella. Mix together, pour beaten egg on top, and mix thoroughly.

Boil pasta shells according to package instructions for stuffed shells.

Set oven to 385°F.

Add 1 1/2 cups of butternut squash sauce in an even layer to the bottom of a 10-inch cast iron skillet.

Scoop filling into pasta shells. (Be generous; you should be able to fit 1 to 1 1/2 heaping tablespoons in each.) Arrange filled pasta shells in the skillet. Top with remaining sauce, a thin layer of additional mozzarella, a few sage leaves, and a bit of thyme.

Spray a sheet of foil with cooking spray on one side to prevent the cheese from sticking and cover the skillet. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted and gooey. If desired, place under the broiler for 2–3 minutes to brown the top.

Garnish with fresh basil and oregano and enjoy.

Thank you so much to Spice Tribe for sponsoring this recipe! Check them out on Instagram here or visit their website to purchase high quality spices and unique small-batch spice blends.

A Festive Champagne Brunch Done My Way

As the weather is finally starting to cool over here in San Francisco and we’ve finally started to get some much-needed rain, it finally feels right for me to shift my creative brain towards thinking about the festive season. It’s at this time of year that my mind is pulled to two extremes—I either want to be cozied up at home, warming my house with the smell of things baking in the oven and simmering on the stove, or traveling off to snowy places with charming town squares illuminated with holiday lights. Now that I’ve started busting out the fall-scented candles, I’m daydreaming about styling big platters of food and finding excuses to invite friends over for bubbly (but also about the prospect of actually getting to travel to someplace festive for the holidays this year). I am not big on family gatherings, but I do love so much the opportunity to celebrate small things with the people who are dear to me, and while that’s something we should do all year round, there is something about crisp cool air and gloomy skies that makes me crave that togetherness in my home.

For this blog post, I got to partner with Champagne Taittinger; founded in 1734, they are one of the last remaining family-owned and operated champagne houses. I am sharing an idea for a festive brunch idea to pair with Taittinger’s Les Folies de la Marquetterie, a wine that was created to be a tribute to autumn and those feelings of being at home. It mirrors a fall palette in its golden color and has delicate bubbles that remind me of the twinkling lights of the European Christmas markets in my daydreams. To me, it tastes very bright at first and then has a finish that is kind of oaky; in the tasting notes, it says it is “full-bodied and fruity on the palate with golden peach flavors leading to a finish with light woody notes”. It is a full flavored and complex champagne, so they recommend that it be paired with something robust like roasted meats.

I paired Taittinger’s Les Folies de la Marquetterie with Cantonese roast duck from a local restaurant and homemade waffles with scallions and lap cheong (sweet Chinese sausage) in the batter. The combination of duck and waffles was inspired by a brunch restaurant in London that I visited during Christmastime in 2019, so when I think of a festive brunch, I think of this combination! I thought it would be fun to style them together on this big vintage platter that I recently found on one of my antiquing hunts and I filled it out with slices of cara cara oranges, fresh jujubes, and lots of fresh herbs.

When you think of champagne pairings, you probably do not think of Cantonese roast meats. However, I recently came across this article on Food52 about why champagne goes with Chinese takeout. The article goes into how the two are perfect for one another because the bubbles of champagne allow you to better savor foods that are greasy by cleansing the tongue with every sip and its acidity provides balance when you are eating foods that are savory-sweet. So, although a Cantonese roast duck was probably not top of mind when roasts were noted as the recommended food pairing for Les Folies de la Marquetterie, I saw an opportunity to present a food from my childhood and my culture in a different light. And what I learned from that article was totally true! The succulent duck tasted sooo delicious with the champagne; taking a sip of it in between bites made each bite feel as if I was tasting the yummiest duck for the first time. 

I think most Westerners do not see Cantonese roast duck as a delicacy because of its typical presentation—I am talking about the ones you see hanging in the windows of bakeries in Chinatown or in the hot deli of Asian supermarkets—but for me, it is very much a special occasion food. If you go to one of these at Chinese New Year, they will be absolutely packed with uncles and aunties trying to order their siu ngap (roast duck) and siu yuk (roasted pork belly with crackling skin). Getting a roast duck was always a special treat when I was young, and I loved everything about it from savoring the fattiest parts of the skin that the rest of my family didn’t want to the soup my parents would make by simmering the bones with pickled mustard greens afterwards. Now that I am grown and living in an area with so many local shops that sell them, I can get a roast duck whenever I want and I can make whatever sides I want—even waffles!—but it will always feel like a special occasion when I bring one home.

I was thrilled that Taittinger was willing to give me the opportunity to share this idea of pairing Chinese roast duck with their beautiful champagne. As you may know if you’ve read the captions of many of my Chinese food posts on my Instagram, I have been actively trying to present the foods of my culture in a way that showcases its complexity and deliciousness, as well as its worth. For too many too often, Chinese food is only known as cheap and ugly, despite its rich history and the sheer volume of possibilities it brings to the palate with all of its regional nuances. I am always so grateful to work with a brand that supports my efforts to rewrite the narrative of Chinese food in America and it means so much to me that Taittinger allowed me to showcase their special festive offering alongside a nostalgic dish. I am so proud to work with a brand that has such a rich heritage and prestige of its own, yet is still so open to diverse ideas. 

Truth be told, I am not an expert when it comes to sparkling wines and their pairings, but duck is prominent in French cuisine just as it is in Chinese cuisine, and both cultures have iconic ways of preparing it that are absolutely delicious. So to me, sharing the duck dish that I grew up with as a pairing with this lovely champagne made lots of sense. No one would question pairing champagne with duck confit or duck à l'orange so this meal is my Chinese-American spin on that. If you are like me and colder days put you in the mood for celebrating things big or small, I hope you will consider making one of Taittinger’s champagnes a part of your celebration, and I hope that this post inspires you to think outside of the typical pairings to bring along a dish that is special to you.

Thank you so much to Champagne Taittinger for sponsoring this post!

Mini Pickle Galettes

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I love how every culture seems to have its own version of pickles but today we are going to be talking about the “kosher” dill pickle. These are the sour pickles made with small cucumbers, and with garlic and dill added to a salt brine, and according to Wikipedia they are so called because they originate from Jewish pickle makers in New York City (but they are not always actually Kosher). I am a big fan of this type of pickle, and have yet to really encounter an application of them that I did not like. For example, when I first learned about pickleback shots, my mind was blown… You mean it’s socially acceptable to just straight up drink the pickle brine??? Please count me in.

And then I found out about pickle pizza from this video on YouTube. There is a place in New York that started making pickle pizzas and by that, I mean they are really going all in with pretty much just pickles and cheese as the toppings. It sounded so interesting to me, and it inspired me think about what else I could make to celebrate such a beloved food. Pizza is awesome, but wouldn’t it be fun to take this humblest of ingredients (which was borne entirely out of the necessity of food preservation) and really celebrate its complexity of flavor by putting it in something a little fancy? I decided to make mini galettes because they are like somewhere between a pizza and a fancy pastry, and they are so easy to make with some storebought pie dough.

The filling of these galettes has three major components:

• Sauce: a garlic-infused béchamel that helps to serve as a creamy bridge between the pastry and the pickles. I think I saw some recipes for pickle pizzas online that used ranch, and ranch is obviously amazing with pickles, but I wanted to do something a little unexpected. I thought it would be kinda twisted to go for a French mother sauce and use it in a thing so radical as a pastry full of pickles. I went really heavy on the sauce in these and it gave them an almost alfredo-y vibe that complimented the brininess of the pickles really well, since thick creamy fatty things and tart things balance each other out.

• Cheese: I just used good ol’ shredded skim mozzarella here, inspired by the pickle pizza. Please grate your own because it will melt more smoothly than the packaged stuff.

• Pickle slices: You could go as much or as little as you want here. I like to buy these individually wrapped pickles by Oh Snap and keep them stashed in my fridge because they are a manageable size and I can cut them up however I like. I probably used about 1.5 of these 3-ounce pickles for my three mini galettes.

The result was something so balanced between creamy and briny. It felt like something that could be served at a cute cafe or brunch place but at the same time harkened to weird fair food. Just as I had hoped, these turned out to be a playful celebration of contrasts and breaking expectations. If you are a pickle fan, I hope my rough “recipe” is enough to help you give them a go.

(For other easy galette recipes, you can check out this everything but the bagel galette with cold smoked salmon, this scallion galette that is sort of my twist on scallion pancakes, and my fresh strawberry galette.)

Awkwardly Vague instructions for Mini Pickle Galettes

Ingredients

4 tbsp salted butter
garlic, minced, to taste
2 tbsp AP flour
milk
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 sheet ready-made pie dough, room temp
~ 1 1/2 cups dry skim mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
1–2 small dill pickles, thinly sliced
1 egg, beaten
everything seasoning (optional)
fresh dill, for garnish

Procedure

To make the sauce, combine butter and garlic in a small saucepan set on low heat. Allow the butter to slowly melt and for the garlic to cook gently and infuse. Once the garlic is fragrant, turn up the heat to medium-low. When it starts to bubble, whisk in flour. Cook, mixing continuously until there is a slightly golden paste. Whisk in milk, 1/4 cup at a time, until the sauce is thick but no longer paste-like (the consistency should be thicker than a traditional béchamel). Whisk in pepper then set aside.

Preheat oven to 450°F. On a floured surface, divide the pie crust evenly into 3 pieces. Shape each piece into a round disk and then roll out into a thin circle, about 6–7 inches in diameter. Place each on a piece of parchment paper.

Fill each piece of pie dough: Spread a generous amount of sauce in the middle of one piece, leaving a 3/4–1-inch empty border all the way around. Fill the middle with cheese, lay on a layer of pickle slices, add a light sprinkle of cheese on top, and then add more pickle slices if desired.

Brush the border with some beaten egg and fold small sections over the filling to form a galette-style crust. Brush the pleated crust thoroughly with egg wash, making sure to get it in all the folds and crannies. If using, sprinkle everything seasoning all over the crust. Repeat with the remaining 2 pieces of pie dough.

Slide parchment papers and galettes onto baking trays and bake for 20 minutes on the middle rack, rotating once halfway.

Top with fresh dill for garnish.

Recipe: Cheesy Curry Noodle Soup with No-Waste Broth

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For this recipe, I partnered with Filippo Berio to share an easy idea for how we can reduce food waste when cooking at home. Filippo Berio is committed to learning more about sustainability in production practices (including protection of olive trees, olive groves, enhancing olive biodiversity and enhancing production efficiency when creating oil) and they are also committed to helping cooks at home reduce waste in their own kitchens. 

The pandemic and last year’s lockdown definitely changed the way that I grocery shop but I feel very lucky and privileged to say that I was able to develop some positive new habits from it. One of the things I continue to do is hold on to my food scraps and use them to make a flavorful broth. I always saved the roasted chicken or duck carcasses to make into soup (something I learned from my parents, who would usually use them to make a Cantonese soup with pickled mustard greens) but now I also hold on to things like onion peels, bones, herb stems, and any tops and bottoms of veggies that I typically trim off. I keep adding them to a container in my freezer and because of my job, it really does not take long to accumulate enough to make a big pot of broth. The container fills up so quickly after a couple of big shoot days that it really makes me realize how wasteful I was when I wasn’t saving my scraps before; they truly still have so much flavor left in them that would have otherwise been discarded.

The food scraps broth that I made for this recipe works as a fantastic base for anything your heart desires for soup season, but one tip I will share with you is that stirring in one of Filippo Berio’s incredible pestos is an easy way to bring complex flavor to the broth and transform it into a unique soup. I don’t think a lot of people think to use pesto in soup, but there is a ramen place in the SF Bay Area that does it to make a great fusion ramen, and I’ve been so inspired from that to make various fusion-y noodle soups. 

This particular recipe is special because it is a fusion of my and my spouse’s cultures. One of the things that he and I bond over is our love for noodles—coming from an Italian American family, he grew up eating lots of pasta with tomato sauces and pestos while I grew up in my Malaysian Chinese family having stir-fried noodles and noodle soups such as wonton mee and curry laksa. This recipe is sort of like a curry laksa with an undercurrent of homestyle Italian cooking. I used Filippo Berio Grilled Vegetable Pesto in place of a Malaysian laksa paste to bring robust umami to the soup and because of the puréed grilled veggies and the Grana Padano cheese in it, the soup gets a satisfying creaminess that we Malaysians know as lemak, without the use of the traditional coconut milk found in curry laksa. The result is cheesy, spiced (but not that spicy, imo), and very slurp-worthy.

Making this fusion curry noodle soup can be broken down into three phases:

Making the broth: All those food scraps that have been accumulating in the freezer get another chance to give you their wonderful flavors by simmering into a lovely broth. I always make this when I have a roast duck or chicken carcass on hand but if you don’t have one, you can boost the umami by adding a handful of dried shiitake mushrooms. This recipe will yield more that you need to make the two servings of noodle soup described, and you can also prepare the broth in advance. Keep it in a jar in the fridge for a couple of days or reuse a ramen takeout container and freeze it for longer storage.

Transforming the broth into tasty curry soup: Whisking the broth together with Filippo Berio Grilled Vegetable Pesto immediately gives it homestyle Italian flavor and some creaminess. Then, adding curry powder, fish sauce, and sambal oelek brings in some Southeast Asian flavors to make it into a wonderful fusion soup. For the curry powder, I used an Indian curry powder recommended for chicken but even the generic curry powder in the spice section of a Western grocery store would work fine. 

Preparing the toppings: I used Filippo Berio Extra Light Olive Oil to fry some shallots and pan-sear some big shrimp to top my laksa-inspired curry noodle soup. There are so many variations of laksa in Malaysia and there’s no hard rule on what to put on top or even what noodles to use. In fact, many hawker stalls that serve laksa will have big vats of simmering broth and let you choose from a selection of noodles and toppings to add. Whatever you choose to top your cheesy curry noodle soup, Filippo Berio Extra Light Olive Oil is great for quickly pan-frying at high heat to crisp things up for good texture.

Curry laksa is all about cramming as many flavors as possible into a bowl of noodle soup and this fusion version is no exception!

How to Make Cheesy Curry Noodle Soup with No-Waste Broth

Ingredients for No-Waste Broth 

about 1 gallon of food scraps, such as vegetable ends, onion peels, and chicken bones
10 cups water

Ingredients for Soup

2 cups no-waste broth
1/2 cup Filippo Berio Grilled Vegetable Pesto
1 tbsp curry powder
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tbsp sambal oelek, or to taste

Ingredients for Noodle Bowl

1–2 tbsp Filippo Berio Extra Light Olive Oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced*
6 shrimp, 13/15 sized, peeled and deveined*
1/4 tsp fine chili flakes
pinch of salt
12 oz cooked rice noodles
1–2 boiled eggs, peeled and halved
fresh herbs, such as cilantro and Vietnamese coriander
1–2 bird’s eye chilies, sliced (optional)
1 makrut or conventional lime, sliced into wedges (optional)

* Save these peels for the next batch of broth, or prep these ingredients in advance to use them in this one!

Procedure

To make the broth, combine the food scraps and the water in a stock pot and bring to a rapid boil. Reduce to a minimal simmer and continue to cook, uncovered, for 1 hour. Allow to cool slightly before using a fine sieve to remove the scraps, squeezing out as much liquid as possible before composting them. Cool and store the broth if making in advance, otherwise measure out the amount needed for the soup.

Combine all the soup ingredients in a small pot on low heat. Whisk together until fully incorporated and allow the soup to come to a simmer. Cover and keep warm while preparing the noodle bowls.

In a small skillet, combine 1 tablespoon oil and the shallots. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly, until the shallots are lightly browned and crisp. Place fried shallots on a paper towel to drain. 

In a small bowl, toss together shrimp, chili flakes, and salt. Use the same skillet for frying the shallots and add extra oil if needed. Heat the skillet on medium-high heat, then add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute on each side or until seared and cooked through.

Divide the noodles into two bowls. Pour over the hot soup, then top with shrimp, eggs, fried shallots, and fresh herbs. Serve with extra herbs, bird’s eye chilies, and lime wedges at the table, if desired.

Thank you so much to Filippo Berio for sponsoring this recipe! Visit their website to learn more about their authentic olive oils, made to the highest quality standard of excellence and craftsmanship.

Recipe: Whipped Feta Dip and Chili Butter Burst Tomatoes

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I have been lucky to have a fantastic crop of cherry tomatoes in my backyard garden this year. Even as the weather is beginning to cool here, there are still tons of little tomatoes on the vine! And I think the best way to enjoy sun-ripened, homegrown tomatoes is to keep things simple, so I have been using them raw in caprese-ish salads or giving them just a little bit of time in the skillet, just until they char or burst and turn into something jammy and wonderful.

In my household, a big bowl of tomatoes, something creamy, and some flatbread to scoop it all up is perfectly acceptable as a meal. This recipe pulls from a couple of my existing recipes to make this garden-grown celebration:

• If you are coming to this recipe in the winter, check out my recipe for Garlicky Whipped Feta with a Citrus Fennel Salad. It’s my original blog post for this same whipped feta dip but at the time I paired it with the more wintery flavors of bright juicy citrus segments and earthy, spice-like fennel.

• If you love tomatoes and want to make a more substantial meal with this idea, check out my recipe for Turkish Eggs with Charred Tomatoes and Sweet Pepper. This was originally where I developed this idea for combining burst tomatoes and chili butter, inspired by a Turkish egg dish called çılbır. I use Maras chili flakes from Spice Tribe for the chili butter (the original recipe was sponsored by them but this one is not).

How to Make Whipped Feta Dip and Chili Butter Burst Tomatoes

Ingredients for the feta dip

8 oz feta (domestic is fine)
2–4 garlic cloves
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt

Ingredients for the Burst Tomatoes

about 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup salted butter, divided in half
2 tsp Maras Chile Flakes*
salt to taste

For Serving

herb oil, pesto, or chimichurri (optional)
fresh herbs, such as thyme and basil
toasts, crostini, or flatbread

*This is one of my favorite products from my friends at Spice Tribe but if you are looking for an alternative I have found that harissa chili blend works well.

Procedure

To make the feta dip, break the feta into chunks and add to the bowl of a food processor. Add garlic and olive oil. Process until a homogenous paste forms. Add the yogurt and process until smooth.

In a skillet, melt half of the butter on medium-high. Add the tomatoes and season with a bit of salt. Reduce the heat to medium if the butter starts to brown. Cook the tomatoes until about half of them have burst.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the rest of the butter. As the butter starts to bubble along the edges, add the chile flakes. Stir the contents of the skillet gently. Cook until the butter starts to foam and the chili becomes fragrant

Scoop the feta dip into a serving bowl, using the back of a spoon to create some areas for the chili butter to pool. Pour the tomatoes and chili butter on top.

Add a drizzle of herby oil, if desired. Top with fresh herbs and serve with toasts, crostini, or flatbread.

Recipe: The Easiest Char Siu Bao

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This is the easiest way to make char siu bao ever. Folks in the US might know char siu bao, or Cantonese sweet bbq pork buns, from dim sum or from a Chinese bakery. When you just say char siu bao in America, it is usually referring to jing char siu bao, which is the steamed variety. That is the kind that has a fluffy white exterior and comes in the bamboo steamer basket on the dim sum cart. But char siu bao actually comes in a different forms—some are baked with a glazed sheen on top and sometimes you can get char siu wrapped in puffed pastry. In all cases, you are referring to char siu—which is Cantonese style sweet roasted pork—wrapped inside some dough.

These little bao are a hybrid between char siu bao and sheng jian bao. Sheng jian bao are Shanghai pan fried dumplings. If you’ve ever had the popular soup dumping xiao long bao where the soup bursts out of the dumpling wrapper, sheng jian bao are a more doughy pan-fried version of that. The filling is stuffed in raw dough and then placed in a skillet to crisp up the bottoms, and then steam is trapped in the same pan to steam the rest of the dough until it is cooked through. Instead of the soupy or juicy pork filling that is common to sheng jian bao, I filled mine with the filling you would find in a char siu bao. That’s why I am calling them a hybrid between the two; it’s the filling of char siu bao and the cooking method of sheng jian bao.

Despite the long-winded explanation of what they are, these bao are super easy to make. For this idea, I must give credit to @dumplingclubsf on Instagram; I once shared a story about how my mom would make donuts with canned biscuit dough, and she told me about how her mom used to make bao out of it! How brilliant! I was so very intrigued by this hack that I had to try it for myself.

These are the key ingredients you will need to make these easy char siu bao:

• char siu: This is Cantonese style sweet bbq pork. I have a recipe for how I make mine here; this would be a great way to use the leftovers. However, I crave char siu plenty more often than I feel like making it, so buying is perfectly fine and intended for this hack of a recipe. You can get it at most Cantonese bakeries and restaurants—anywhere where you see a roast duck hanging in the window. You can also get it at Asian supermarkets which have a hot deli section inside; it’s typically sold by weight.

• canned biscuit dough: You guys know the ones; the kind where you have to peel off some of the cardboard can and then press a spoon along the crack to get it to explode open. The plainer the dough the better; don’t get one of those new fancy varieties if you can avoid it. However, the one I got when I shot the photos for this ended up being one with little pieces of butter dispersed throughout the dough so it looked a little unsightly when rolled out and raw but it still worked perfectly fine.

Please don’t ask me how to pleat these dumplings though! I think you can tell from the photos that I didn’t really know what I was doing. I tried watching and following some YouTube videos and I just haven’t gotten the hang of it. But they will taste so good and their crispy bottoms will look so impressive that I think it won’t really matter much if you suck at pleating just as much as I do. Just try to gather the dough around the filling and create a seal. Don’t stress—this recipe is meant to be easy and fun!

And by the way, these taste great with my ginger scallion garlic oil. You can find the recipe for that here!

How to Make the Easiest Char Siu Bao

(Makes 16 bao)

Ingredients

1/2 lb char siu bao, diced
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp date syrup or honey
1 tsp shao xing wine (or dry sherry)
1 16oz can biscuit dough
flour for dusting
1 tbsp cooking oil
~1/4 cup white sesame seeds
black sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
1 scallion, sliced, for garnish (optional)

Procedure

To make the filling, mix together the char siu, hoisin, date syrup, and wine. Set aside.

Separate the canned dough into the individual biscuit pieces, and then split each piece in half. Then, working one at a time, roll each piece of dough on a floured surface into a 4-inch circle; try to get the edges thinner than the center. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle and then gather the dough up around the filling and pinch closed at the top. Dip the bottom in a little saucer of water and then dip in a plate of white sesame seeds so the entire bottom of the bao is covered in sesame seeds. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Use a skillet large enough to avoid crowding. Heat the oil on medium heat. Place the bao in the skillet (sesame side down) and cook until the sesame seeds and bottoms are golden brown. Add 3/4 cup water into the skillet and cover. Allow to steam for 8 minutes, or until the water has almost evaporated. Remove the cover and leave on the heat just a little bit longer to allow the bottoms to become dry and crispy.

Garnish with some black sesame seeds and scallions, if desired.

Easy Spicy Chicken Congee

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Today I’ve partnered with RightRice and Nona Lim to share an easy congee or jook recipe. Many of us remember our parents making congee or jook or rice porridge as a cure-all for us when we were sick—but now that we are adults, we have to make it for ourselves when we are feeling under the weather.

Traditional jook takes time but my easy hack will get you a nourishing bowl of comfort much quicker. The trick is using RightRice’s fast and nutrient-packed “rice” and a broth that is already super full of flavor.

Click here to get the recipe on RightRice’s site!

Thank you so much to RightRice for sponsoring this recipe!

Jammy Eggs in Sambal

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This recipe was inspired by Malaysian sambal telur (eggs in chili sauce) which I associate with nasi lemak, the national dish of my parents’ home country. However, I altered the idea in a couple key ways:

• tomatoes in the sambal: I don’t think of tomatoes as being common in Malaysian cooking and when I think of Malaysian sambal, it does not using contain tomatoes. However, I find spicy tomato sauces to be so addicting, and I wanted the sauce for this dish to be something that heat lovers would want to keep coming back to, scooping up over and over with their roti or naan. So my version is a tomato-y sambal. If you leave a lot of the chili seeds in, it will definitely pack a punch, but the acid from the tomatoes makes it even more pleasing.

• jammy eggs: With typical sambal telur you tumis or fry/sauté hard boiled eggs, so not only are the yolks fully cooked but the outside of the whites have a unique, firm brown skin from the frying. I prefer soft and gentle eggs that have a luxurious mouthfeel so I opted to nestle jammy 6.5-minute eggs into my tomato sambal for this dish.

Click here to get the recipe on the Pete and Gerry’s site!

Thank you so much to Pete and Gerry’s for sponsoring this recipe!

Green Tomato and Chili Cheese Toast

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Green tomatoes are not easy to come by in my part of the country but I think they have such a great tart flavor. When I saw one in the pile of mixed tomatoes at the store, I snatched it up, but then it sat in my fridge for a while. It didn’t seem worth heating up a bunch of oil to make just one fried green tomato. I googled what else to do with a green tomato and saw lots of examples which pair pimento cheese with them. Apparently this combination is a common thing where fried green tomatoes are popular—I had no idea, but I can see why! They are delicious together!

What made things even more perfect is that I happened to have a cornmeal-crusted jalapeño and garlic loaf from my favorite local-ish bakery, Wild Flour Bread on hand. It was the perfect bread for this toast combo, but a nice slice of crusty sourdough or rye would taste amazing too.

I topped off the otherwise Southern-inspired combo with a chili oil fried egg because I couldn’t resist bringing some extra spice to the toast. You can learn how I made this fried egg in more detail here.

How to Make Green Tomato & Chili Cheese Toast

Ingredients

1 slice of bread, toasted
1/2 green tomato, thinly sliced
~1/4 cup pimento cheese
1 chili oil fried egg
red pepper flakes, to taste
dill, for garnish

Procedure

Generously spread pimento cheese over the toast (I used the one from Trader Joe’s). Top with a few thin slices of green tomato, and then with the fried egg. Sprinkle red pepper flakes over everything and garnish with fresh dill and/or dill flowers.

For more toast inspiration, check out all the posts with the “toast post” tag here.