Shungiku are the leaves of the Garland Chrysanthemum. They have a unique herbal flavor and are widely used all over eastern Asia. While they make a great addition to soups and stews, I love using them in place of spinach because they are similar in color and texture, but have a lot more flavor.
Continue reading “Discover the Aromas of Shungiku and Maitake Stir-Fry”
Every Saturday morning is the same. I wake up, pull on my jeans and sweater and brace the morning fog that blankets over Northern California in the summer. I have one goal in mind: the farmer’s market.
Continue reading “Visit Local Farmer’s Markets with Jenna”
Last month I wrote about how Italians make clever use of stale bread by turning it into a salad. This month we go to the Castilla y León region of Spain where clever peasants of yore turned stale bread, garlic, and scraps of ham into a delicious soup.
Continue reading “Travel Your Taste Buds to Spain with Sopa de Ajo”
There’s always a need for a chocolate chip cookie, don’t you think?
Continue reading “Drool Over Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookies”
Almost every culture in the world has a holiday honoring the departed. In Japan there’s Obon, in Mexico there’s Día de los Muertos, and Catholics around the world celebrate All Souls’ Day. In China, and ethnically Chinese communities around the world, there’s the Hungry Ghost Festival. Since Singapore is such a melting pot of various culinary traditions, I enlisted the help of my friend Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, author of A Tiger In The Kitchen to tell us more about how the Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated in Singapore. She’s also shared a recipe for her aunt’s Teochew braised duck (see end of post).
Peng Kway are rice cakes filled with shallots, peanuts and garlic wrapped with pink glutinous rice. (Photo credit: Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan)
Continue reading “Discover the Hungry Ghost Festival of Singapore”
The first dish I ever made in culinary school was ratatouille. I remember like it was yesterday. We were working on our precision knife skills, so everything had to be sliced and diced to perfection. I had no idea how just a simple stew of summer vegetables could be so flavorful and satisfying.
Ask most people and they’ll tell you that tuna is best served raw. That’s because it’s a very lean fish and the lack of fat makes it dry out easily when cooked. Most grilled preparations of tuna will have you sear the outside, but leave the middle raw.
If there’s one thing I really love in life, it’s a good falafel pita. Spicy, hot and filling, those little fried chickpea patties never fail to please.
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