Have you ever cooked with delicata squash? This is one of my favorite squashes to roast because it doesn’t require peeling, and by cutting it into little crescents, you can roast it in just 20 to 25 minutes in the oven. I mix the nutty and earthy gochujang with a bit of maple syrup to coat the squash before roasting. I will often just snack on this like candy, though it makes an amazing fall and winter side dish! Check out the tutorial on my new latest video! My little channel is still in its infancy, but let me know in the comments (on either the video or the blog) what other recipes you're i ..read more

Chili crisp is a pantry staple in our household and we use it for so many things, including these delicious Chili Crisp Peanut Noodles. Evocative of the flavors of Sichuan province, these noodles are spicy, smoky, and full of nutty richness. Recently I’ve been putting more videos on my Youtube Channel Plate & Pencil, and experimenting with the ins and outs of food film making. Let me know in the comments below what you think! PrintWith ImageWithout ImageChili Crisp Peanut Noodles Yield: 4Author: Diana KuanPrep time: 10 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 25 MinThese fabulous noodles using your ..read more

Embed Block Add an embed URL or code. Learn more How to Peel Ginger the Easy Way - Plate & Pencil For a while I have been doing cooking video as side projects for other companies, but recently I started making a few more for my Youtube channel. Whenever I teach classes one of the most fun skills students learn is the best, and easiest, way to peel ginger. Check out this video for the step-by-step process, and how to prep the ginger after peeling ..read more

Have you ever made bibambap at home? It’s an ideal one-bowl comfort food dish that you can top with gochujang for extra kick. This recipe comes from my book Red Hot Kitchen. You can make bibimbap whether or not you own a dolsot (stone bowl). The instructions offer three options for the rice: making bibimbap in a dolsot (and getting the signature sizzling rice on the bottom), a simple alternative to crispy rice using a wok or skillet, or going the minimalist route with steamed rice. Let me know in the comments which one you tried! Vegetarian Bibimbap with Brown Rice Yield: 4Author: Diana Kuan ..read more

I first made these sweet and sour tomatoes in April of 2011, right after finishing a huge chunk of my manuscript for my cookbook. In search of a light and easy side dish, I tried out this great recipe for a sweet and tangy tomato salad. A years later, it's still a warm-weather standby.  I've been perusing my cookbooks for ideas for easy side dishes to get me in the mood for warmer weather. Ideally, I could also snack on them when recipe-testing stir-fries, which I have been doing a lot of lately. Yesterday, while looking through Kylie Kwong's Simple Chinese Cooking, I hit jackpot on one ..read more

You may have noticed some changes around here. Most noticeably, where is Appetite for China and why is it now called Cinnamon Society? When I first started this blog in 2007, I had recently moved from New York to Beijing and was exploring China for the first time as a temporary resident. I wanted a blog to record my travels around the country and my experiments in the kitchen to reverse engineer all the new dishes I was trying. Because of the Appetite for China, I made a bunch of new friends in the food world, started teaching cooking classes, and eventually started writing cookbooks. But thi ..read more

Updated post (first published Oct. 2012) Whenever I eat out at a Sichuan restaurant, one of my favorite dishes to order is dan dan noodles. It's one of those quintessential Sichuan dishes, a rustic and simple dish that's also packed with flavor. Traditionally, the sauce for the noodles is made with ground pork or beef, cooked with a delicious blend of sesame paste, sesame oil, dark vinegar, chili oil, and Sichuan pepper. But every once in a while, I like to do a vegetarian version using tofu and shiitake mushrooms. And this is not a dish just for vegans; the sauce and the shiitake mushrooms h ..read more

Hi everyone! With May just around the corner, I have been getting many more emails from companies asking about private dumpling-making classes to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month. I have taught this class for 11 years both in-person in New York and online, and have an easy setup and process that gives groups the best possible experience for virtual team-building and celebrations. I have done this for smaller groups all the way up to 80 in a class. Contact me for more information or to book a class! ***Vegan and gluten-free dumpling options are available. Everyone makes the same dough from scratc ..read more

Updated April 29, 2021 This recipe for General Tso's chicken has been the most popular on this site since I first posted it in 2009. Month after month it continues to be the most viewed and searched for recipe here.  I love that so many of you, presumably, have visited on a mission to replicate this tasty dish from a favorite take-out. In the last 12 years since this recipe first posted, I’ve revised it numerous times to get it perfect. The biggest improvement is in the frying process. The original recipe resulted in really nice crispy chicken, but I think this new recipe one-ups its pre ..read more

Updated post, first published Feb 2, 2017. This recipe is adapted from China: The Cookbook, a beautiful 700-page tome that celebrates dishes from around the country. These shallot oil noodles look super simple, but wow, words CANNOT describe how good they are. I made them three days in a row and always chastised myself for making too little after finishing my last bite. You basically cook the minced fatty pork in a bit of oil (the original recipe calls for fatback but I used bacon because it's much easier to find), remove and set aside, then heat shallots and garlic to perfume the oil. Cook s ..read more