Tag Archives: COOK

Fig Compote: Who knew they had figs in China?

I love love love figs. Love them fresh or dried, in a lovely red wine reduction, on my toast, stirred into yogurt, laced with honey… you get the point. Living in California, getting my hands on these fleshy little creatures … Continue reading

Posted in COOK | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Roast Pork (烧肉): Hong Kong at Home

I am obviously obsessed with pork. I never got why they called it “the other white meat” because people who prefer chicken seriously need to have their heads examined. In China, the pig is taken pretty seriously. Beef is niu … Continue reading

Posted in COOK | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Fat is Flavor: Recipe for Stir-fried Yunnan Ham, Pine Mushrooms, and Something Green (云腿松耳炒青菜)

This post was written to mourn the last chunk of Yunnan ham (yuntui 云腿) that I brought back from, well, Yunnan, in southwestern China.  I love food souvenirs, and a friend had specifically requested Yunnan ham.  During a week-long trip, … Continue reading

Posted in COOK | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

A Love for Sweet & Sour: Recipe for Vinegar Peanuts

What is it about the combination of sweet and sour that is so remarkably appealing? I’ll admit that there is no flavor combination that I love quite as much as that tangy sweetness. I’m one of those people that asks … Continue reading

Posted in COOK | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Rice Cooker, Local Market, Magic!: Recipe for a Peking Duck L’Orange

This is a recipe for every person who has ever longed to make laowai food in their own kitchen without the aid of a proper oven.  I have an immense amount of affection for my roommate: her impeccable taste in … Continue reading

Posted in COOK | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Recipe for an Egg Crepe (jianbing 煎饼), part 4 of 4

Our love and near-obsession with the jianbing is well documented (for a total of six posts on this one simple street food). We’ve made the pilgrimage to Tianjin, birthplace of the jianbing, we’ve pestered numerous jianbing vendors around Beijing for … Continue reading

Posted in COOK | Tagged , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Recipes for Egg Crepe Innards (jianbing 煎饼), part 2 of 4

When devouring a jianbing, the biggest question usually is – just what is that crispy thing in the middle? In Tianjin guozi (果子) is used – usually translated as a Chinese doughnut (youtiao 油条) – but the youtiao recipes were very intimidating.  Plus … Continue reading

Posted in COOK | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Recipes for Egg Crepe Sauces (jianbing 煎饼), part 1 of 4

How many jianbing photos does a blog need, really? We think it’s important that the unabated love affair with jianbing on Beijing Haochi continues with these photos from a vendor located off the corner of Jiaodaokou Dajie and Gulou Dajie.  … Continue reading

Posted in COOK | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Recipe for a Sweet New Year, or Glutinous Rice Dumplings with Rosewater(tangyuan 汤圆)

In Xi’an there’s a local specialty that I have thought about constantly since I left: it’s a small cake made from a dried persimmon (shizibing 柿子饼), stuffed with nuts, and then shallow fried, so that the flesh was chewy and … Continue reading

Posted in COOK | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Happy Chinese New Year, five dumplings to share (jiaozi 饺子)

It’s a northern custom to make and eat dumplings on the first day of the New Year (chuyi 初一), and we were determined to do it right, with several kinds of fillings.  We went out to Sanyuanli Market (三元里市场) to … Continue reading

Posted in PREP | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments