Soy, Rice, Fire

Stir-fried fava beans with Chinese bacon

Simon — Sun, 19 May 2013 15:54:58 +0000

If you’ve tasted fresh fava beans when they are in season during spring and early summer, you’ll understand why they are considered the king of all beans.

Their rich and nutty flavor, as well as buttery texture, set them apart from many other beans.

Although shelling and peeling fava beans could be [...]

Steamed glutinous rice and pork ribs in lotus leaves

Simon — Sun, 05 May 2013 15:30:23 +0000

Wrapping glutinous rice in aromatic leaves is a sure way to create irresistible parcels, which is why almost every Asian cuisine has their versions of sticky wonders.

In Indonesia, for example, you can find Lemper Ayam, a beloved local snack made with glutinous rice wrapped and steamed in banana leaves, filled with [...]

Celtuce ribbon salad

Simon — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 14:51:50 +0000

Like asparagus and peas, celtuce is another amazing vegetable that I eagerly anticipate and seek out when spring comes.

Originated in the Mediterranean region and brought to China during Tang Dynasty, celtuce is a popular vegetable in China, where it’s called Wosun (莴笋). Here in the US, it’s also known as stem [...]

Dragon Well shrimp (龙井虾仁)

Simon — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 16:16:13 +0000

Hangzhou, one of the most beautiful cities in China, is the birthplace of the legendary Dragon Well tea, or Longjing cha (龙井茶) in Mandarin.

The locals take so much pride in their tea that they even created a shrimp dish featuring it. The dish is aptly named Dragon Well shrimp.

Crossing the bridge noodles (过桥米线)

Simon — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 02:18:38 +0000

If you are not familiar with the food and cooking of Yunnan Province in China, you are not alone. Even in China, many people are just beginning to discover the exotic and exciting flavors of that remote and mountainous region.

That said, one dish from Yunnan, Crossing the bridge noodles (过桥米线), has [...]

Steamed fish rolls with bamboo shoots, ham, and shiitake mushrooms (三丝鱼卷)

Simon — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 16:22:45 +0000

Blessed with the most fertile land in the country, and a long and rich history, Jiangsu Province has one of the most refined and sophisticated regional cuisines in China.

I have written about two dishes from Jiangsu before: the mouthwatering Wuxi spareribs, and

Dry-fried beef with Chinese celery and carrots (干煸牛肉丝)

Simon — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 16:40:21 +0000

Chinese cooking places particular emphasis on texture. This delightful dry-fried beef from Sichuan Province, together with it’s polar opposite, stir-fried beef with green peppers which I posted last year, are two textbook examples.

You see, the stir-fried beef dish calls for marinating the meat first, [...]

Stewed quail with Chinese yam, Yellow Mountain style

Simon — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 17:26:20 +0000

The majestic Yellow Mountain, a Unesco world heritage site with breathtaking scenery, is the birthplace of Hui Cuisine, one of the eight prominent regional cuisines in China.

The mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes in the region provide abundant supply of wild games, fresh-water fish, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and a wide range of [...]