Nine years ago, I wrote an article called "Sleep Together and Have Sons: Celebrating Chinese New Year with Sex and Dumplings" for Maisonneuve Magazine's blog, back when I was an intern there. It's a catchy title and I remember researching this history of jiaozi and long-life … [Read more...] about Chinese New Year, Feb. 11-17, 2021: Recipes and History
Chinese
Spicy Sichuan Boiled Fish from Bon Appetit and How to Simultaneously Burn and Numb Your Mouth
Sometimes you just want your whole mouth to burn. For that, there's Sichuan boiled fish. The bright red liquid the fish is served in is more a cooking oil than a sauce, and the whole dried Sichuan chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns that occupy it are for simultaneously … [Read more...] about Spicy Sichuan Boiled Fish from Bon Appetit and How to Simultaneously Burn and Numb Your Mouth
Black Bean Mussels Adapted from The Seventh Daughter by Cecilia Chiang
Sometimes you read a memoir/cookbook that puts your life is in perspective. The Seventh Daughter: My Culinary Journey from Beijing to San Francisco by famous San Francisco restaurant owner Cecilia Chiang tells her life story of barely escaping China, moving to Japan then on to … [Read more...] about Black Bean Mussels Adapted from The Seventh Daughter by Cecilia Chiang
Chinese Healthy Soup: Ginseng and Other Adaptogens
I have a New Years tradition with a friend to make a giant pot of soup with a ton of vegetables from Chinatown, the reason being that after a late night of drinking it feels good to start the new year with something healthy, hot and easy to digest. And Chinatown is usually the … [Read more...] about Chinese Healthy Soup: Ginseng and Other Adaptogens
Everyday Chinese Stir-Fried Chicken with Bok Choy and Snow Peas
Look at those peas. Aren't they gorgeous? Those peas and bok choy were not bought in a grocery store. I picked those myself, and felt almost bad stir-frying them until I saw how bright green and delicious this recipe made them. The recipe is incredibly simple, and it's not … [Read more...] about Everyday Chinese Stir-Fried Chicken with Bok Choy and Snow Peas
Hot Ginger, Gastronomic and Essential Oils from Aliksir, and a Recipe for Gung Bao Chicken
The second product I'm testing from the upcoming Expo Manger Santé et Vivre Vert (March 11-13, 2016) is the ginger Arome de Saba, an organic gastronomic oil from Quebec company Aliksir. If you’ve never been to the expo before, it’s a weekend-long exhibition at the Palais de … [Read more...] about Hot Ginger, Gastronomic and Essential Oils from Aliksir, and a Recipe for Gung Bao Chicken
Chinese Dì Sān Xiān: Sautéed Potato, Eggplant and Green Pepper
This classic Chinese comfort food dish is a study in texture. When you think potato and eggplant, you probably think mush. Think again. In this recipe, they're soft on the inside and crispy on the outside from shallow frying before hot sautéing.The flavour is mild - there's no … [Read more...] about Chinese Dì Sān Xiān: Sautéed Potato, Eggplant and Green Pepper
Shui Zu Yu: Spicy Boiled Sichuan Fish
This is a typical Sichuan dish that's quick, light and tongue-tingling. Make sure you find real Sichuan peppercorns. If your mouth doesn't go a little numb, they're not real. You want the burn, because it's not really heat, per se; it's numbing. And sometimes we all need a little … [Read more...] about Shui Zu Yu: Spicy Boiled Sichuan Fish
Wok-Fired Bok Choy with Peanut Sauce
I waited about a month before pulling this last pak choy (like bok choy) from my garden. It's a little like kale in that it's hardy and can handle the first frosts. Mostly I wanted to keep something green growing, in an effort to fend off winter, which would inevitably fail. I … [Read more...] about Wok-Fired Bok Choy with Peanut Sauce
Spicy Sichuan Bitter Melon Stir-Fry with Shrimp
I really thought this was a bitter melon. It started growing in my garden. Actually, it just appeared mysteriously on a vine one morning, after presumably spending at least a couple days hiding under some leafy vines on my trellis. I had planted bitter melon, but I'd also planted … [Read more...] about Spicy Sichuan Bitter Melon Stir-Fry with Shrimp