ALT You’ll see oysters incorporated in a lot of Taiwanese cuisine: pancakes, soups, noodle dishes and more. It is an island after all. Oyster omelet is a classic dish in Taiwan, and I prefer sweeter Pacific oysters for this. Traditionally, some sort of starch is incorporated into the egg batter so you get this mochi-like texture. To be honest, I get grossed out when it’s too “stretchy” or sticky, especially in an egg dish, because it tastes like it is under-cooked. Ugh. For 1-2 servings: 6 oysters 2 large eggs 1 green onion, sliced 1 tbsp. sweet potato starch ½ tsp. kosher salt 1/8 tsp. groun ..read more

ALT A wilting bunch of green onions was the source of inspiration for this spicy chimichurri-like sauce. Don’t waste food even if it’s ugly! I’m honestly all about making things easier too: that’s why I like sauces that COULD serve as a marinade or a condiment. This is that recipe. For almost ¼ cup of sauce: 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1 bunch green onions, sliced 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 teaspoon aji mirin (aka mirin seasoning) 1 teaspoon pure sesame oil 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 bird’s eye chili pepper, chopped (optional) Sauté together vegetable oil, sliced green o ..read more

ALT I had this amazing red snapper and crab stew with breadfruit at Moon Bar (Boston) a few weeks ago. It was one of those rare dishes that I couldn’t stop thinking about. I wanted to make a version of this at home, taking inspiration from Nigerian stews but also use southeast Asian flavors. An ingredient I used for this dish are chrysanthemum greens. These can be found in Asian grocery stores, although it may be labeled as tong ho/tónghāo. It tastes a lot like spinach, but the longer you cook it the more peppery and bitter it comes. For 4 servings: ¼ c. vegetable oil 1 whole red snapper (abo ..read more

I like the winter holidays. The comfort food, cringey holiday movies that I secretly love and forgiveness of excuses to stay indoors. No place for a “but it’s so nice outside!” response when it’s freezing out! I admire people that just nope out of a situation or event, without an excuse. But there’s something about that, that is damn true: as adults, must we always have an excuse for everything? Why can’t we just…not do something? And hell yes to eating candy for breakfast. You’re an adult now. For 2 servings: 5 ounces grated Gruyère cheese 3 ounces grated Emmentaler cheese 1/3 cup Sauvignon ..read more

肉圓 (or “bawan”) is a Taiwanese street food that can be translated as “meat circle.” It’s a savory meat filled meatball encased in a sweet potato starch shell. Traditionally steamed, you can also find them fried and pan fried. It’s also a sticky pain in the ass to make sometimes. I worked on this shortcut version, that’s a little less of a sticky mess. ALT A note about Taiwanese chili sauce, the one ingredient that really makes this dish. It has the consistency of ketchup, but it’s equally sweet and spicy. Imagine trying to slap together ketchup, sweet chili sauce (the orangish-kind that looks ..read more

This is one of my favorite dishes from Taiwan…but I feel like I say something is my favorite is quite often. I’m a little homesick for the island that’s rich in seafood and fruit. The plan is to be able to take my daughter there in the near future and I can’t wait to show her our roots. For 4 servings (adapted from Cathy Erway’s The Food of Taiwan): 2 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 tablespoon minced ginger 4 garlic cloves, chopped 2 cups rice wine 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 2 pounds clams (I used Littleneck instead of the preferred Manila, since that’s what I had access to) 1 cup packed fresh ..read more

This is part of a paid partnership with Halo Top® Daylight savings got you down? Maybe you’re dreaming about a little tropical escape too! From now until November 20, Halo Top fans can enter the sweeps by visiting www.halotoplightenup.com after sunset (ET) when the Daylight Saving Time darkness descends, for a chance to win a trip to Rio de Janeiro, and other great prizes. You can also step into a warm weather mindset with this warm-weathered inspired recipe: pan-fried bananas with cinnamon-sugar brings out the salty caramel flavor of the creamy Vanilla Caramel Milkshake Halo Top ice cream. F ..read more

Thank you Karo® Syrup for sponsoring this post. Celebrate sweet moments together with Karo®! You might be familiar with caramel or candied apples, but meet Tanghulu! This Northern Chinese treat is versatile for many different kinds of fruit. It’s traditionally made with a fruit called hawberry or hawthorn, which are like tiny apples. And similar to caramel apples, you get that sweet, sticky exterior except each bite is crunchy and it doesn’t stick to your teeth. I love the contrast of biting into Tanghulu with softer fruits like strawberries and grapes. Grapes are a particular favorite of mine ..read more

This is part of a paid partnership with Halo Top® We’re getting into cozy sweater and holiday overindulgence season, but before you reach for that PSL with extra whip (or whatever it is that sets your mood for fall), there’s a new dessert in town and it comes in the form of pumpkin pie ice cream. Yep, Halo Top Pumpkin Pie tastes just like rich and creamy pumpkin pie – even with the 360-calorie label. Plus, delicious treats shouldn’t have the guilt attached to it. Now, kick it up a notch by turning it into an ice cream roll. You’ll see. Want to try the Pumpkin Pie flavor? Or perhaps another fl ..read more

Crust off or on? The crust is usually kept off for this particular kind of egg sandwich, but frankly, I just can’t be bothered. For 1 sandwich: 3 hard-boiled eggs 1 tsp. whole milk 2 tbsp. kewpie ¼ tsp. granulated sugar 1/8 tsp. kosher salt ½ tbsp. butter, softened 2 slices milk bread (I purchased my milk bread from an Asian bakery) In a mixing bowl, mash 2 eggs with milk, kewpie, sugar and salt until the eggs are smashed into sunflower seed sized chunky bits. Note: You can smash the third egg if you like, but I like having a whole egg in there! Butter the milk bread slices, but only on one ..read more