We just came back from Denver, CO, where we spent Christmas with my husband's family. And no, we didn't go skiing. (Everyone asks that question!) Instead, we hung out with family, played card games, and ate plenty of nostalgic foods. My mother-in-law, Lisa, had spent the last...
I don’t know if I should feel lucky or left out because unlike many of my American friends, I never had any altercations with boiled Brussels sprouts when I was a child. (Big score for my Asian upbringing!) Since my first Brussels Sprouts experience as an...
A decade ago, hardly anyone understood what the term "gluten-free" meant, celiac disease was very under-the-radar, and finding gluten-free products at the grocery store was challenging. Today, just about everything sold at the grocery store is gluten-free, even water and face cream! (Yes, I'm being facetious.)...
You may be married to one. Your best friend may be one. You may even unknowingly be nurturing one at home. My point is: I’m sure everyone knows at least one meat-loving carnivore, someone who frowns at a meal sans meat and/or shuns anything remotely...
As promised, today’s blog post focuses on a dumpling to please your fried-food fiend of a friend (try saying that 10 times fast!). These dumplings are of course, fried wontons. To be fair, I don’t think fried food lovers should be pigeon-holed. Because honestly, who...
This year, Lunar New Year falls on February 8th. To welcome the Year of the Monkey, why not have a dumpling party? If you've thrown a dinner party, you know how complex it can be to feed an eclectic mix of guests in this day and...
Holiday traditions in the U.S. abound. From roasted goose to the Feast of Seven Fishes, many American immigrant communities bring a piece of their homeland to the Christmas table. The Filipino dish rellenong manok (rel-ye-nong ma-nok) must be one of the most intricate and elaborate, both...
When I was researching my first book, The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook, several Chinese Americans I spoke to told me that their parents prepared steamed chicken or duck instead of roast turkey for Thanksgiving. I wasn't surprised because steaming is more traditional than roasting in many Asian...
Diwali (also called Deepavali), or the Festival of Lights, celebrates the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness. Celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists, it falls between mid-October and mid-November according to the Gregorian calendar. In 2015, Diwali lands on November 11th. New...
I have vivid memories of the annual dragon boat festival, also called Duan Wu Jie (端午节) or Double Fifth Festival (because it occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month of the traditional lunar calendar). Most of the time, we watched the dragon boat races (the...
