Are you a procrastinator? If you’re reading food blogs the night before Thanksgiving, good chances you are. Or perhaps, you do what I do, which is make a plan weeks in advance, only to start second guessing myself right before I start cooking, or even in the midst of cooking. Ugh, it’s a serious problem. I already plotted out the Roasted Butternut Squash with Pears and Cranberries, the Pumpkin Lasagna, and the Cloud Topped Pumpkin Loaf. Don’t forget some of last year’s... Read Full Story

One of my fantasies is to become a master dim sum chef. One day, I will move to Hong Kong and do a traditional 8 year apprenticeship, learning every type of dough, every way to fold a dumpling, and become of master of teas as well. One day…right after I become a master sushi chef. When I saw Luo Bo Gao (Daikon Radish Cakes), a dim sum classic, on Asian Dumpling Tips ( a wonderful site by cookbook author Andrea Nguyen), I was happily surprised by how easy the recipe looked. It seemed li... Read Full Story

Is any press good press? You have to wonder as Chef Jason Neroni was accused by a former boss of stealing (charges were dropped), and then called-out when he solicited votes for a James Beard Award. This all seemed to help his new restaurant of employment, 10 Downing 10 Downing Street, New York, NY 10014, get attention from New York Magazine, The New York Times, and The New Yorker. Those reviews were all written in March and the menu has since changed, leaving us to choose on our own,... Read Full Story

Andy’s Seafood & Grill 95-26 Queens Boulevard, Rego Park, NY 11374 is kind of a mish-mosh of Taiwanese, Cantonese, Szechuan, and Shanghainese so it’s no surprise that some dishes rocked, while some dishes fell short. Still, in Rego Park, right on Queens Boulevard, close to subway access, there’s not all that much to choose from, so we still welcome the addition to this area. While my mom ordered, we noshed on peanuts, pickled veggies, and spicy marinated broccoli stems... Read Full Story

It was another day for experimenting, and again, things did not come out quite as expected, but just like the Cloud Topped Pumpkin Loaf (which I hope to be famous for one day), these cupcakes were a hit, and will remain in my repertoire. During Halloween, Sophia (my brother’s girlfriend and chocolate fiend) left some Lindt Dark Chocolate Truffles here. I tasted one and they didn’t taste quite as dark as I like for my eating chocolates, but they did have smooth creamy centers. I g... Read Full Story

Most American kids cannot imagine growing up without Spaghetti and Meat Sauce or Bolognese. For Chinese kids, it’s Za Jian Mein, Noodles with Pork Bean Sauce. It’s sweet and salty, with a chunky thick sauce that coats noodles so well, irresistible for kids, and a heaven sent for mom’s because it’s just too easy to make. It’s no wonder we ate this a gazillion times. We’d ask and before you know it, a piping hot bowl of noodles would be on the table. When we... Read Full Story

My food writing class, headed by the fabulous, Andrea Strong, descended on Bill’s Bar and Burger 22 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY 10014 like wild female cats, pouncing on everything edible, and some of us were in heat. It was the final official meeting of our class and I was pretty sad. I really love this fierce group, producers, a sommelier, chefs, and bloggers, but we promised to eat together again. (Just remember, I have some incriminating photos.) You will definitely be hearing... Read Full Story

Quince may sound mysterious (if it does, read part 1), but poaching quince couldn’t be a simpler task. It could even be your first attempt at cooking. The part I would worry about is peeling the quince. You need a very sharp knife and be extra careful please! Do you remember the butterfly tank in your elementary school classroom? You raised caterpillars, fed them, watched them form cocoons, and then spring came and you got beautiful butterflies. For me, poaching quince is the fall coun... Read Full Story

It all started about six years ago, when I ended up in the hospital with a severe allergic reaction. I had developed an allergy to artificial food coloring and was covered in hives from right below my ear lobes, down to my toes. It was so itchy; I scratched my sides till they were bleeding. I had to be treated with steroids which then made me all bloated, and this all happened when I was on a trip out in California. It was then that I started avoiding processed foods, under strong advisement ... Read Full Story

Yesterday, I woke up with flu-like symptoms that I really struggled with, but lost. I couldn’t even get up. Lon had already gone to work but my brother came over to walk Ice for me. Thanks Justin! I was so hot, it was causing a headache, but at the same time, I was shivering with chills. I had aches all over. Despite having this recipe for my Winter BLT already written and pictures in the camera, I just couldn’t get up to finish this post. I’m a little e-mail obsessed and I ... Read Full Story