would make again Vegan Char Siu Bao Char siu bao was one of my favorite picks from the HK bakery my mom and I would go to every week when I was in elementary school. Recently, it's come up again in my life as a favorite of the friend group every time we go out
would make again Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs The photo looks terrible, but I swear that this is delicious. My brother made this for me when I was staying at his place for a summer, and it was the first time I felt like "wow, chicken is really tasty!" because it was so moist! This has
would make again Instant Pot Kalua Pork The Instant Pot comes with a small booklet of recipes, and in a cleaning frenzy, the SO and I rediscovered it after being proud IP parents for a year now. In flipping through, I found a few recipes that I want to try out (and will definitely be sharing here!
would make again Cucumber Kimchi There's a soondubu place near my hometown that my friends and I love going to because the food is amazing, and of the banchan (side dishes), their cucumber kimchi is my favorite. It's so crispy and fresh, yet nicely seasoned, and I find myself a little
would make again Instant Pot Plain Whole Milk Yogurt I've been intrigued by the "Yogurt" button on our Instant Pot from the first day we got it. Does it really work? Does it taste good? How does it work? What is the consistency? Is it worth the time and effort? Are there long-term savings to
would make again Butter Mochi My high school friend came by for dinner again and helped contribute photos again (previously: mango sago) for our butter mochi process. I went to Hawaii for the first time back in October with some travel goals: 1. eat tons of butter mochi 2. eat tons of poke 3. eat
would make again Oat Milk We're always on the search for delicious non-dairy alternatives of everything since the SO is lactose-intolerant, so I wanted to give oat milk a try. Oats are so cheap, and we don't normally buy milks so they aren't always readily available in the fridge,
would make again Apple Crisp Apple crisp makes me think of my best friend because he used to make this every now and then in high school. Since then, he's moved onto having matcha tiramisu as his signature dessert. Very proud. I love apple desserts and I love desserts with that crumble/streusel
would make again Vegan Herb & Garlic Cream Cheese Niki Limo made a video where she tested out Lauren Toyota's vegan cream cheese recipe, and I was intrigued. Could tofu really taste like cream cheese? Was this another protein-adder and food I love that I could incorporate into my diet? I'd soon find out "
main Instant Pot Eggplant Potato Curry It's been a long time since I've had Indian food, so I pulled together a quick curry from whatever was lying in the kitchen. While it was cooking, the SO was so excited because the smell of spices coming out from the kitchen were amaaaaaazing. Ingredients
main Greens + Protein + Sauce + Pasta (specifically Kale & Turkey Pesto Pasta, here) Pasta is always a quick, easy dinner option that you can make tons of different combinations of using the classic formula: Greens + Protein + Sauce + Pasta = it's usually good Use whatever you have on hand. On this particular day, I had... Greens = kale Protein = ground turkey Sauce = pesto Pasta
dessert Eggless Tiramisu Trader Joe's started carrying lady fingers and also had mascarpone, the two ingredients that I never see around anywhere so woo0o0o~~*~~*~~ I ended up making this three times in one week because there was a sudden uptick in my social life and this recipe is just so quick,
main Spam Musubi I love going to new grocery stores when I travel because it's so interesting to see what kind of foods and prices people are eating and looking at in their everyday lives. When I went to Hawaii this year, it was so cool because the grocery store across
main Kale Potato Soup After our blender died from trying to create mayo from scratch for the pork sung buns, I invested in a Vitamix--something that I've been dreaming of since high school. This was the first soup I made in it! Super warming and filling. Ingredients * 4 potatoes * a ton of
side Tortilla Chips This is an easy snacks for when you're cutting and don't want to have chips around the house, but you feel like you might die if you don't fulfill your craving for that salty, oily, crisp bite. I know a bunch of people might
dessert Mango Sago My high school friend joined me for a stroll through a wine & art festival, and at the end, we were talking about getting some asian desserts, especially sago. My SO is a big fan of sago, so I told the friend to come over to my place for dinner
main Instant Pot Beef Vegetable Stew (or soup?) Scanning through the "Manager's Specials" section of the Safeway wall of meat has become part of my shopping routine ever since I've started living with the SO because I'm always looking for deals on meat to satiate the carnivore that he is.
main Pork Song Buns Pork song buns aka pork floss buns are the SO's and my friend, Super Saver's, favorite bun from HK bakeries, so I gave a shot at making it at home. Ingredients * Tangzhong: 25g bread flour, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup whole milk * 350g bread
side Instant Pot Steamed Egg Few ingredients, super simple, and super delicious. My mother made this for me when I wasn't feeling well or didn't have much appetite because it always went down easily and felt like great volume food. It's also great for when you're just
main Lemon Garlic Chicken Drumsticks Drumsticks were on sale, and I still had a lemon left from Aeghrur's visit, so this is what we came up with to serve with the baked potato wedges. This is a really easy dump-and-go recipe. Ingredients * 6 drumsticks * 2 tbsp olive oil * zest and juice from a
side Baked Potato Wedges I'm pretty sure I was Irish in my past life. I love potatoes. The SO and I were hyped to grab 10 pounds of taters for $3 at ye ol' H-Mart, and we've been slowly grinding through the bag of deliciousness. Ingredients * potatoes * oil * salt
main Instant Pot Curry Ribs One of the SO's favorite dishes from home is his parents' curry ribs, so the moment we received our Instant Pot (roughly half a year ago!), I knew I had to make it. So I hit up SO mommy and now have this grand recipe to share
main Lighter Shepherd's Pie Admittedly, I've never had a real shepherd's pie before in my life, so I have no idea what the real deal is supposed to taste like, but it's supposed to be a two-layer thing: meat and veggies on the bottom, topped with a nice
would make again HK Hot Dog Bun This is not the bun you found at all the grilling events during all the 4th of July events you attended, but rather, it is the amazing sweet and savory combo you can find at any Cantonese bakery. Struck by repeating cravings, I needed to learn how to make the
dessert Matcha Chia Seed Pudding I made chia pudding once in college and it was incredible--entered my mouth and then almost instantly exited my butt. Fiber is amazing. Ingredients * 1 tsp matcha * 1 cup almond milk * 3 tbsp chia seeds * sweetener to taste Methodology Here's quick recipe--combine everything in a container. Mix it
