Tag Archives: noodles

Recipes for a Simple Saturday Night Dinner

This three-course meal is elegant enough to serve to weekend guests, yet simple enough so that you won’t be slaving away in the kitchen all night. If you aren’t entertaining this weekend, then consider treating your family to this delicious fall meal. Kick off your night with some Raspberry Brie Tarts. They are extremely easy to prepare thanks to pre-made pastry shells. The main entree features fettuccine and shrimp with a lemony twist. Finally, top off your Saturday night with chocolate, coconut, and pecans in a sumptuous 7-Layer dessert. RASPBERRY BRIE TARTS Ingredients: 2 (2.1) ounce packages of frozen mini … Continue reading →

Hot and Spicy Singapore Rice Noodles with Shrimp

In keeping in the Olympic spirit I have been sharing recipes for some popular Chinese dishes. The local Chinese restaurant in my (very small) town came up with the clever idea of passing out recipes to patrons who dine at their eatery during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Last week my friends took me out for Chinese food to celebrate my birthday and we left the restaurant with a folder full of recipes. Some of them were for familiar dishes and others were for ones that we had never sampled until that night, such as the one below. According to … Continue reading →

Making an Edible Bird’s Nest

Much has been made of the most recognizable Olympic venue in Beijing, China. The eye-catching National Stadium, or “Bird’s Nest” was home to the memorable opening ceremony and it is currently housing the track and field events along with men’s soccer. In addition, this Sunday the Bird’s Nest will host the 2008 Olympic closing ceremonies. According to the building’s designer, the hollowed complex allows in maximum sunshine in an effort to make spectators feel like they are in a forest. The designer also noted that the bowl shape was designed specifically to help the audience focus on the bottom center … Continue reading →

Mother’s Day Potluck: Chinese Shrimp and Noodle Salad

This is year my beloved grandmother will be spending Mother’s Day in a nursing home. It will be her first Mother’s Day since her horrific stroke and I wish more than anything we could be with her to celebrate. If I were there I wouldn’t hesitate to whip her up some of her favorite dishes. (Unfortunately, we are 5,000 miles away and we’ll have to settle with sending her some photo gifts in the mail.) However, my parents and brothers (along with my sister-in-law) have assured me that they will be hosting a little potluck in honor of my grandma … Continue reading →

Seeing Red on Valentine’s Day

If you are not expecting to be treated to a five-course gourmet meal on Valentine’s Day—-join the club. There are many families (mine included) that will be dining at home Thursday night. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate Love Day with a festive meal. I’m not talking about an extravagant, expensive dinner featuring steak and lobster (though, that would be nice… it would be even nicer if you weren’t the one having to prepare it). Nor am I suggesting you bypass the main dish and head straight for a delectable Valentine’s Day dessert. Rather, I’m merely suggesting that you … Continue reading →

Make Your Own Chinese New Year Dishes

Mark your calendars–this year Chinese New Year begins on February 7th. Which means you have exactly one week to finalize your party menu… or make dinner reservations at your favorite Chinese restaurant. Actually, the point of this blog is to encourage the former instead of the latter, more convenient option. I grew up in Hawaii where Chinese New Year is celebrated with huge block parties featuring massive buffet tables lined with the most delicious homemade Chinese delicacies. Growing up my favorite Chinese New Year treat was Soy Zing Dan Gow, a steamed Chinese sponge cake that is specifically made for … Continue reading →

Super Simple Salads

Are you hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year? In our family even if my mom is the one preparing the main meal we all chip in by bringing a dish to pass. For some reason I’m always told to bring the salad. (Likely because one year I brought burnt pie to Thanksgiving.) I’ve since redeemed myself with the following salads. Both are super simple to make and have proven to be major crowd-pleasers—–even those who say they hate salad end up having seconds and thirds. And what’s nice about these recipes is that you can prepare them the night before, leaving … Continue reading →

National Pasta Month: Answers to the Noodle Quiz & Topping Your Noodles

Did you take the quiz the other day? If you didn’t, you have to go back and read the quiz first because it’s not fair to read the answers first. But, if you took the quiz and are checking back to see how you did, here are the answers: #1. Chinese people made the earliest pasta. #2. Noodle comes from the word ‘nudel’ which is a German word. #3. You should use 4-6 quarts to boil one pound of dry noodles. #4. Noodles have eggs in them which make the different from other pastas. #5. Kugel is a dessert made … Continue reading →

Pasta For Pennies

As a large family of seven, mealtime could get expensive if we let it. With two near teens, and three young active children, with healthy appetites, our grocery bill could sky rocket if were not careful. Sure, I use coupons, and I use sales ads, and I stockpile and I get free samples and trials and yes, I even dumpster dive (not for food!). However, even with all that, there are still ways to save money. Most of you know I am the queen of freezer cooking when it comes to frugal living. I think preparing meals in advance not … Continue reading →

Auntie Yuan’s Duck Salad

This recipe was originally posted in Bon Appetit Magazine and it is from the Auntie Yuan Restaurant in New York. For this recipe, you will need a five-pound duckling, black peppercorns, honey, Chinese rice vinegar, salt, soy sauce, dry mustard, ground white pepper, mai fun (rice noodles), iceberg lettuce, scallions, sugar, garlic cloves, cilantro, chicken stock, sesame seeds, vegetable oil, and green onions. To prep for this recipe, you will need to grind enough peppercorns to make 1/2 teaspoons. Peel and chop enough garlic cloves to make 1/2 teaspoon. Shred the lettuce. To roast the duck, preheat the oven to … Continue reading →