One-wok meal Archives - Pickles and Tea

Quickie Congee in the Instant Pot

18 Jan, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Breakfast, Chinese, Cooking method, Do ahead, Filipino, Grains, Indonesian, Instant Pot, Kid-friendly, Main Course, Malaysian, One-wok meal, Poultry, Singaporean, Soups, Taiwanese, Vietnamese

Nothing beats a warm, comforting bowl of congee (or arroz caldo, or bubur, or whatchamacallit) made by grandma, especially when you’re sick. Not many of us still have that luxury. In fact, we’re probably the ones doing the cooking. Making congee is definitely a labor...

Korean Cold Noodles for a Hot Day

10 Aug, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Boiling, Korean, Noodles, One-wok meal, Soups

It’s been sweltering here in the metro D.C. area. In fact, temps surged to 115 degrees F with the heat index several Mondays ago. It’s been so hot and muggy, all I want to do is hole myself up indoors and exert as little energy as...

Leftover Makeover Tips

24 May, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Indonesian, Kid-friendly, One-wok meal, Poultry, Tips and techniques

My mom doesn’t waste food. She never has, doesn’t now, and never will. A friend joked that there’s a term for that: CCW—cheap Chinese woman. Jokes aside, I was well aware as a little girl that Mom was very conscious of stretching the ingredients she bought...

Savory Rice Porridge with Pork and Shrimp (Kao Tom Moo)

29 Feb, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Boiling, Breakfast, Chinese, Comfort food, Filipino, Grains, Indonesian, One-wok meal, Pork, Seafood, Singaporean, Taiwanese, Thai, Vietnamese

Although Lady Spring teased us with her glorious appearance this past weekend, the upcoming snow in the forecast reminds us that it's still winter. And there's nothing better than a steamy bowl of rice porridge when you're in need of something warm and comforting for both your soul...

Instant Ramen History and Hacks

14 Sep, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Boiling, Comfort food, Japanese, Noodles, One-wok meal

I may only be slightly exaggerating when I say that instant noodles are synonymous with starving college students. I’m sure even you dear reader have recollections of huddling over steaming Styrofoam cups, shoveling curly noodles into mouths and slurping soup between cramming for midterms and/or a...

Japanese Spice Blends + Spicy Gomashio Soba Recipe

24 Jul, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Boiling, Japanese, One-wok meal, Salad, Sides, Vegan

Many cultures around the world use spice blends and mixtures in their cooking. Some popular ones are French herbes de provence, Jamaican jerk spice and Mexican adobo. Asian cooking in particular relies heavily on spice mixtures. Can you imagine a world without Indian curry powder or Chinese...

Glutinous Rice Dumplings and the Dragon Boat Festival

19 Jun, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Boiling, Celebrations, Chinese, Comfort food, Cook books, Food traditions, Indonesian, One-wok meal, Snacks, Stir-frying, Taiwanese

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...

A Chat with Leela Punyaratabandhu of SheSimmers.com and “Simple Thai Food” Cookbook Giveaway

15 May, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Comfort food, Cook books, One-wok meal, Stir-frying, Thai

Leela Punyaratabandhu is the lyrical voice behind the award-winning Thai food blog SheSimmers.com. Her debut cookbook Simple Thai Food--Classic Recipes from the Thai Home Kitchen (Ten Speed Press, May 2014) was released almost exactly one year ago on May 13. To celebrate her book's first birthday, I asked Leela to...

Easy Kimchi Fried Rice

17 Apr, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Korean, One-wok meal, Stir-frying, Vegan

I’ve always believed in the healing power of food. And since I’ve been sick several times this past winter, I’ve had many opportunities to harness their benefits. Here are my top 3 favorite healing foods: 1. Ginger My mom’s spicy ginger tea does wonders to clear my sinuses...

Remembering a Great Leader and Oyster Omelet for One

27 Mar, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Chinese, One-wok meal, Pan-frying, Snacks

Early Monday morning, March 23, 2015, Singapore’s former prime minster, Lee Kuan Yew, passed away. You may not recognize his name but know this: Singapore wouldn’t be the affluent metropolis and economic heavyweight it is today without this great man. Under Mr. Lee's 31-year leadership, this island...

Pickles and Tea One-wok meal