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...

Japanese Food Maven Hiroko Shimbo on Her Mother’s Influence in the Kitchen

12 May, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Appetizers/Sides, Boiling, Celebrations, Comfort food, Easy, Japanese, Vegan, Vegetable

Hiroko Shimbo is a well-known authority on Japanese cuisine and a beloved cooking instructor based in New York City. And like many of us, she owes much of her culinary finesse to her mother. Hiroko has long been a proponent of cooking Japanese cuisine with a...

One-Year Book Birthday Festive Menu

29 Mar, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Celebrations, Comfort food, Cook books

Food plays a very big role in celebrations across many Asian cultures. Whether it’s Lunar New Year, a birthday, Christmas, or a promotion at work, food--festive food--tends to be at the center of any get-together. Plus, the dishes served tend to have special meaning. Since I’m...

Happy One-Year Book Birthday!

28 Mar, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Book giveaway, Celebrations, Cook books

Woohoo! Farm to Table Asian Secrets turns one today, March 28! I can’t believe it’s already been a year! To celebrate, I’ll be throwing a coming-of-age party for my book baby. Why? In China, and many Asian countries, a baby’s first birthday is a major milestone. High infant...

Matcha and Chia Mochi Cake

02 Mar, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Baking, Comfort food, Easy, Fusion, Hawaiian, Japanese, Kid-friendly, Snacks, Sweets/desserts

I’ve been meaning to bake a mochi cake (also called butter mochi) for the longest time--maybe 10 years?--ever since I first used mochiko for the mochiko chicken recipe in my first cookbook The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook. A few weeks ago, I finally did. I was inspired by...

Longlife Noodles

13 Feb, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Celebrations, Comfort food, Entrees, Family style, Main Course, Singaporean, Stir-frying

Adapted from The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook (Sasquatch Books, 2009/2012) Noodle dishes are always served during birthdays and Chinese New Year because the Chinese believe they symbolize good fortune, prosperity, and longevity. The longer the noodles, the longer (and luckier) your life will be — so don’t...

Homemade Bak Kwa (Chinese Pork Jerky)

02 Feb, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Baking, Broiling, Celebrations, Chinese, Comfort food, Easy, Kid-friendly, Malaysian, Singaporean, Snacks

When I first came to the U.S. as a college student, one of the foods I missed most from Singapore was bak kwa. It's kind of like jerky, but made with pork and with Chinese flavors. Beef jerky didn’t cut it—not even teriyaki-flavored—and even though salmon...

Kale and Roasted Ginger Salad

26 Jan, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Appetizers/Sides, Broiling, Cooking method, Easy, Salad

If you adore fresh ginger as much as I do, then I hope you'll be game to try this sprightly salad. To be honest, it's not for everyone, but it's worth a try. I first learned about this kale and roasted ginger recipe from a lady...

Asian Cookbooks for Holiday Gift-Giving

08 Dec, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Burmese, Cook books, Filipino, Fusion, Korean, Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai

2017 has been a gangbusters year for Asian cookbooks. Not only are we seeing more Asian cookbooks being published, the variety and diversity of cultures, cuisines, and topics represented have increased exponentially. And my favorite trend? All these Asian cookbooks are authored by people of color writing...

Artisan fermentation crock by Miki Palchick

Meet the Maker–Handcrafted Fermentation Crocks by Miki Palchick

15 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Appetizers/Sides, Condiments, Cooking equipment, Food traditions, Japanese, Korean, Salads, Sides, Snacks

While I love making kimchi, I can’t imagine making it in a traditional kimchi fermentation crock--called onggi—and then burying it in the ground. Although if you’d like to try it, you can buy one stateside from this guy. Just so you know, fermenting in general doesn’t...

Pickles and Tea Adventures in Asian American Cooking