Roast Pork Belly with Air Fryer 氣炸鍋燒腩仔

I have tried different recipes and ways to make roast pork but so far this is the most trusted, reproducible and satisfactory recipe. It takes a little planning but very little hands-on time. Using an air fryer produces crispy skin every time and there is less mess to clean up as compared to a regular oven.

Hainan Chicken with Rice 海南雞飯

Hainan chicken is my family's favorite dish. To make this chicken, I have tried using the soaking method, in which the chicken is dipped in a hot, herb-infused brine to cook, and this steaming recipe. Both methods give me a moist chicken but I found steaming is easier to do and less wasteful, as the brine in the soaking method is merely disposed of after cooking the chicken.

Do you like the chicken more than the rice? Or the ginger and scallion infused oil? I think they are like legs of a table. Each one is indispensable from the other, and essential to the dish as a whole.

Steamed Crab with Egg and Chinese Wine 花雕水蛋蒸蟹

Out of the many cooking classes I took in Hong Kong, I think this is the most simple and yet very delicious one. The flavors of the crab and egg blend very well together and the addition of the Chinese wine adds complex flavor! It will definitely wow your family and guests. You can twist the recipe a bit to suit your tastes and needs. Follow the tips and tricks below will guarantee you a silky and smooth steamed egg.

Enoki Mushroom Beef Rolls 金菇牛柳卷

This dish looks fancy but it is easier to make than you might think. It will be a good dish for the Chinese New Year. Have something a little different than chicken and fish to celebrate this year!

Steamed Baby Back Ribs with Plum Sauce 梅子蒸排骨

After making the Pearl Shrimp Balls, I somehow have an urge to make more dishes by steaming. My household loves meat, especially my two teenagers. They seem as if they could not function properly without having meat for a single day. In order to satisfy their appetites, I have to come up with different meat dishes. Steamed spareribs with black bean and garlic sauce is a common dish we often have, but today I tried to make it with a different sauce. This plum sauce adds complexity and depth to the taste and it goes perfectly with rice.

Pearl Shrimp Balls 珍珠蝦丸

Here is another easy to fix dish that will bring something different to the dinner table. Not only is it easy to make, it is also considered to be relatively healthy because of the way it is cooked. Steaming has had a long history in Chinese cuisine while Westerners mostly utilize methods like baking, grilling and deep frying. By steaming, a lot of the nutrients are preserved without adding excessive oil or fat to the food. No wonder it is the preferred method of cooking for many people.

Some foods are good to look at but may not taste as good, while others are sinfully delicious but may not be appealing. This dish is not just attractive and delicious, but also simple to construct using a healthy method as well. I used shrimps in making this dish but other meat like minced pork or chicken can be a good substitute (steaming time has to be increased for pork and chicken). If you find pre-minced shrimp paste more convenient to use, go ahead and use it.

Stir-Fried Sweet Rice with Chinese Sausages 生炒糯米飯

Hot pot (shabu shabu) and clay pot rice are very popular during the winter. They can really warm you up on cold winter days. Besides these two common winter foods, sweet rice (also called sticky rice or glutinous rice) is also a common dish. Instead of using the normal method of cooking the sweet rice in a rice cooker, I steam it and rinse it under water so it is not too sticky. It is then stir-fried with Chinese sausage. These extra steps prove to be worthwhile and make this dish extraordinary! (some other recipes call for stir frying the rice right after soaking, but it takes forever for it to cook through this way and you will not able to lift your arm afterward !)

The amount of ingredients below is for your reference only. What is really important is how you prepare the rice.

Portuguese Curried Shrimp with Rice 葡式咖哩蝦飯

Seafood is one of my favorite foods, especially shrimp and lobster. Gone are the good old days I spent in Boston when lobster was on sale for $2.99/pound or even less! I could have a few lobsters in a meal.

This is the first time I try to make a curried shrimp with rice dish. Instead of using water to steam the rice, the rice is cooked with shrimp broth. It makes the rice exceptionally flavorful and unique.

It is relatively easy to make and I think your family would want to try it as well, especially during winter time.

Chicken in a Pot with Garlic and Preserved Lemon 惹味雞煲

There are a few things in making this dish that I have never done before. First, this is my first time baking a chicken using a Dutch oven (cast iron pot). It was far easier than I anticipated it to be. After browning the chicken and slightly sautéing the vegetables, just put every thing in the pot and stick it in the oven. Then you will have a room filled with a delicious aroma in about an hour and dinner is ready.

Secondly, I never used this much garlic in a dish: 4 heads (about 30-35 cloves). The cloves are separated with the skin still attached. Perhaps it is what makes it so tasty without an overwhelming garlic flavor. 

Last but not least is preserved lemon. I made preserved kumquats for a remedy for sore throat but never preserved lemon. But to my surprise, it adds a distinct flavor to the chicken. I was also surprised as to how much more delicious and flavorful the leftovers are the day after. Maybe next time I should resist the temptation to eat it right away!

Steamed Rice with Chicken in Lotus Leaf 荷葉蒸雞飯

This is a dish that is relatively easy to cook, even though it sounds complex. The lotus leaf I use is dried and is available at Chinese grocery stores. It's a pity there aren't any fresh lotus leaves around to buy; it will greatly enhance the flavor and aroma of the rice. If you can get any fresh lotus leaf, by all means use it.

This is one of those dishes where you don't really have to go by a "recipe" because it can't really go wrong if you don't exactly follow the steps. Let your creativity and sense of taste be your guide. You can substitute chicken with any meat. Marinate it the way you want (usually with salt, sugar, cornstarch and oil). Instead of using water to cook the rice, you can use chicken broth for more flavor.

Slow Baked Pork Baby Back Ribs 香焗豬肋排骨

"If you cook, your family will eat dinner together.

If you cook, you will naturally have a more sustainable household.

If you cook, you'll set a lifelong example for your children.

If you cook, you'll understand what goes into food and eat more healthily.

If you cook, you'll make your home an important place in your life.

If you cook, you'll make others happy.

If you cook, people will remember you."

                                                              ~Amanda Hesser & Merrill Stubbs

Clay Pot Rice with Chinese Sausages 臘味煲仔飯

I know we are blessed to live in Los Angeles, especially during the wintertime. Winter in Southern California is mild compared to the rest of the country. The normal daytime highs are in the 60's and nighttime lows are around the 40's. Although we don't usually get below freezing temperatures, it is still considered to be cold by many of us.

Baked Chicken in Salt 鹽焗雞

Don't be misled by the name of this dish. This is not a salty chicken. The coarse salt used in this dish is used to provide flavor but not to add the amount of salt to marinate the chicken. Only 1 teaspoon of salt is used for the marinate. The rest of the salt is put in between the parchment paper and the aluminum foil.

Meat Lasagna

I like to cook. Cooking is fun and it is especially fulfilling when others enjoy the food. But to decide what to cook is another story. If you are like me, the main chef of the house, you must know what I mean. I rarely repeat what I cook day after day. Variety is important to me and my family. No one likes to eat the same food day after day.

Roasted Pork Belly 脆皮燒煵肉

This is by far the most favorite meat dish of my family, comparable to char siu or BBQ pork. We ususally have it at least two times a month. The marinade is more simple than char siu, but you have to pay close attention when it is in the oven. There will be a lot of smoke due to the melting of fat from the pork belly. Make sure your vent hood is on or open the kitchen windows.

BBQ Pork/Char Siu 南乳叉燒

Char Siu with Red Sauce

I love it when the supermarket has pork butt for sale. It means we can have homemade char siu. It is important not to use the part of pork that is too lean; otherwise it will get very tough. Pork shoulder or butt is ideal since it has some, not too much, fat in between the lean meat.