BLT with Poached Eggs

This one is so basic and so freakin' good.
Eggs: As eggs should be, poached in a little vinegar, with salt and pepper.
BLT: Bacon, lettuce, tomato, (salt and pepper). Of Course. But with Charlie's special touch of WASABI MAYO. Crunchy, crispy, salty, and spicy.
SO YUM!

Chinese Almond Cookies

2-1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of lard, crisco
2 eggs, beaten
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon almond extract
1/2 cup slivered almonds, ground coarse
1/2 cup roasted almonds

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°. In food processor mix flour, sugar, butter, lard, salt, and baking soda until it forms little balls. Add eggs and extract. Roll dough into balls, flatten into cookie shape. Place on cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place almond in center of each cookie. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Semi Homemade Upgrade

I was walking around in my neighborhood last weekend and found a store that AMAZINGLY had puff pastry. I was very excited to make something with them. But what...? Hmmmmm.....Well, since I had made this recipe before with some crescent rolls, I thought I'd try it with these fancy puff pastry squares. They turned out so crispy and currilicious! I ate way too many of them.

A Solemn Brunch

My Uncle recently passed away. There was a traditional Chinese funeral/wake for him in Chinatown. He was then taken to be cremated and was to be taken back to Toisan, where he is from. After a funeral, Chinese people have a funeral banquet to celebrate the deceased's return to heaven.
Afterwards, leftovers were taken, this solemn brunch was made.

For the LOVE of EGGS!

Here's another installment in my egg paintings. The CENTURY egg, or thousand year old egg. These eggs are made by preserving duck, chicken or quail eggs in mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime, and rice straw for several weeks to several months, depending on the method of processing. The only way I can really describe the flavor of this egg is it is musky and pungent. If you are a fan of blue cheese, then you may be more inclined to like this. The texture is not quite egg like anymore, the exterior (or the white part-now the black part) is more like jello and the inside (the yolk) is more creamy and smooth. I admit it's an acquired taste and I grew up eating this so I like it a lot and if I was on that episode of Fear Factor where I had to eat those eggs, I would have ACED that challenge! :P

Japanese Night/AKA Christmas

This is what one eats when all the stores are closed on Christmas day. Charlie and I went to Jas Mart and bought some groceries and made panko fried cat fish, Japanese rice with dried seaweed and sardine mix, and crimini and inoki mushrooms baked in foil with butter, garlic, and ponzu sauce. The fish looks like a giant hash brown in the picture...well, it kinda was but instead of potatoes inside, it was fish with that crunchy exterior. Good and artery clogging and so worth it.

HUGE Turkey Day Pot Luck 2008

I almost forgot about this! Annie and Kenneth hosted a Turkey Day party/pot luck dinner. Annie even made a cute menu she posted on the wall. Everyone made such yummy and fun dishes! Cecelia made jalapeno corn bread and a suped up Korean kim chee stuffing, very original. Phil made a fabulous sweet and tart apple pie from SCRATCH (sorry it's not in the pictures), Kenneth made a juicy brisket and gravy, and the most incredibly savory nut loaf I have ever had in my life. Annie made lobster mac 'n cheese that was to die for. Chunks of lobster and pasta in a creamy/cheesy sauce, it was decadent. (Also, not in the pictures--What happened to that?!) Also on the menu was green beans, mash potatoes, and cranberry sauce. I made turkey monterey jack stuffed meatballs with cilantro and a white gravy.
Good times was had by all!

Fattening up for the Winter with Pumpkin Muffins

I really love pumpkin and I really love cream cheese so I slapped those two things together and got this!
It was tasty, soft, moist, and creamy. Wish I could send you some.

Food In Art

My friend Elana reminded me about this piece that I did a year ago. I noticed it was on her phone as her main picture. I was so honored she had it on there.
It reminds me of how it seems like most of the time when the Griffins (Family Guy) are eating in the kitchen, it's usually eggs (or is that just me), or on Rosanne someone or another would be walking around in that t-shirt with the chicken and eggs on it.
I like eggs. I like eggs in ramen. I like 'em scrabbled, poached and soft boiled. Eeeeeeeegs.

Chicken Fried Steak

I made this tonight. Yum. That's all I gotta say.

Charlie's Dinners

Charlie has been cooking a lot lately! He's make some really yummy meals without any help from me and they were very delicious.
Salmon with couscous and a watercress salad and an herby dill roasted chicken with couscous and a mango corn salsa.
:) I'm so proud of him!

Farmer's Market In New Hampshire

I found some purple peppers in New Hampshire and I was so happy!
Photo by Sherri Liberman

American Staple

I make this all the time. Its a staple for me. You might be thinking, 'Hey, what about ramen noodles with egg?' and I'd say, ' You're freakin' racist. Just because I'm Chinese you think my food staple should be ramen noodles with egg?!'. I would then say, 'Ok. You're right, I DO have ramen noodles with egg too. I like to have both. I'm greedy.' So, anyway, I normally put basil and mint in my meatballs but this time I had an excess of herbs so I put a slew of it in my meatballs and it came out so good. I forgot the parmesean but next time it'll be beyond awesome with the parmesean in the meatballs!

Blackberry Cheesecake from Gourmet Magazine

I saw this on the cover of the august issue of Gourmet Magazine and had to make it.

Birthday Beach Lobster Salad

Lobster tail
Celery
Parsley
Lime juice
Mayo
Avocado
Salt/Pepper

Crackers to scoop it up

Beach/Sun/Food/Fun

On Food and Culture: A Moving Travelogue by Leonard Shek

Have Food Will Travel: Pearl River Delta from Leonard on Vimeo.

I love this! I want to see the whole travelogue when it comes out.

Olive Biscuit

I saw this cookie recipe here once and always wanted to try it out. It has the perfect combo of salty and sweet. Its a seemingly odd combo at first but it is really such a perfect combination of flavors. In the realm of chocolate covered pretzels. If you like that, then I think you'll like this.
And of course, I can't ever help changing the recipe because I have a disorder.
So I crushed up some rosemary in some sea salt and sprinkled the infused rosemary salt on top. I also added a sprinkle of rosemary in the batter as well.

Never Gonna Buy Pizza Again!

Ok. So it looks like there is a huge salad on TOP of my pizza but I'm telling you, that's what makes it! Jaime Oliver style mixed green salad (with basil) dressed in lemon juice and olive oil atop a pizza is truly 'GENIUS'!

Martha Inspired

A dish inspired by one of Martha Stewart's recipes from her Everyday Food book. The chicken I made up is roasted with balsamic, garlic, and onions.

Mabo Tofu From Scratch