Salt-Free Chinese Pickled Cabbage 【东北酸菜】

The North East is the granary of China, it has very fertile lands and very distinguish seasons. Winter is harsh in North East, with harsh weather comes very little fresh vegetables.

Fortunately, fall in North east abounds in Chinese cabbage, one vegetables that is known for its storability. Another way to preserve the abundance Chinese cabbage is to pickle the vegetable. 

The pickled cabbage has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, which makes it a very unique ingredients in many delicious dishes mainly made in Winter.

我想渍酸菜想了好些时日，刚好超市里的大白菜又好又大，还打折。选了一颗最大的回来渍酸菜.

渍酸菜的方法有好几种，我选择了这款最简单、最传统的无盐法，这种方法做出的酸菜色泽很好，香气扑鼻。

Fish and Chinese Chive Dumplings 【鲅鱼饺子】

I grow up eating Tang Yuan (Glutinous rice balls) to celebrate winter solstice. And I came to know that the Northern Chinese eats dumplings/Jiaozi in the winter solstice.

Since I am craving for some dumplings and it is winter soltice yesterday, I made this fish and Chinese chive filling jiaozi for lunch and Gold fish glutinous rice balls in gingery syrup for dessert.

That makes 2017 winter solstice celebration a "Fishy fish theme"

我是南方人所以自小冬至是要吃汤圆的，出国后才知道原来冬至也有人吃饺子。

冬至这天我不忙，刚好馋鲅鱼饺子很久了。早上做完金鱼汤圆后就开始包鲅鱼饺子，刚好俊爹今天上班半天，午饭就吃了鲅鱼饺子，甜点是金鱼汤圆。

2017年的冬至庆祝妥妥地就是全鱼宴呀！

Happy Winter Solstice! Gold Fish Tang Yuan 【金鱼汤圆】

 

It is winter Solstice today, so is the time to eat some Glutinous Rice Balls. I have a Japanese Kabocha pumpkin at home, so I made these cute little gold fish Tang Yuan for my son A. 

今天是冬至，家里有只日本南瓜，我拿来蒸熟做了些金鱼汤圆。俊宝很喜欢，都舍不得吃呢！

Mung Bean Cookies 【绿豆饼】

在家乡的时候每年过年我最喜欢的一款年饼就是绿豆饼，来美之后再没有吃过这款饼。

不久前我家附近的亚洲超市进了一批台湾产的绿豆饼。我买了两盒尝尝，味道和家乡吃的很相近。俊爹很喜欢，一盒十二只他一口气就给吃完了。

前天是个下雪天，刚好我不上班，整理厨房时找出一包有机绿豆，就自己磨了绿豆粉，做了绿豆饼。味道非常好，一出炉就被俊爹吃掉俩。

Mung bean cookie is one of my favorites Chinese New Year cookies, it has been years since I last had it. 

Sometimes back I saw some mung bean cookies imported from Taiwan being sold at the nearby Chinese supermarket. I brought some home to try, I liked it and hubby likes it even more, so much so that he finished the whole box in one go. I had to go back to the store to bring two more boxes later. 

Unfortunately, I did not find the same product in my recent visits to the store, we have been missing our favorite treats for some times now.

It was snowy and I was off from work on Thursday, since I was not in the mood to leave the house, I spent the day cleaning and the afternoon making these cookies with homemade Moong bean flour. 

Noodle soup with Shredded pork and pickled Mustard tuber 【榨菜肉丝面】

When winter comes,  it is all about warming, comforting foods at my home.  Did I mentioned :"Easy and quick?".

This noodle soup fits the bill, it is something you can make with literally whatever you have in your pantry.

The key ingredient in this noodle soup is the pickled mustard tuber that comes in small packet,  very handy and easy. You can find it in most Asian/Chinese supermarket.

大冬天的我经常就只想吃碗热汤面，这款榨菜肉丝面很适合，方便，好吃，还不必刻意到菜市场买菜。半个小时就能做好，一碗下肚真满足。

Mint Barley Water 【薄荷薏米水】

Barley water is well known for its cooling property, it is used especially in the southeast Asia, where the tropical climate brings with it the heat and humidity, this particular beverage could help to prevent dehydration and cool down the body.

The Chinese traditional herb and medicine also believed that barley could help to reduce weight, reduce water retention, and is a good source of fiber.

Since we are running heater 24/7 now in winter, I am making some Barley water to go with the Mint Syrup that I have in the fridge to help quince the thirst and dryness.

东南亚天气炎热，很容易上火。所以那里的人都习惯喝点凉茶或者可以清热祛湿的饮料。

百度百科说：薏米是常用的中药．又是普遍、常吃的食物，性味甘淡微寒，有利水消肿、健脾去湿、舒筋除痹、清热排脓等功效，为常用的利水渗湿药。薏仁又是一种美容食品，常食可以保持人体皮肤光泽细腻，消除粉刺、斑雀、老年斑、妊娠斑、蝴蝶斑，对脱屑、痤疮、皲裂、皮肤粗糙等都有良好疗效。

我之前做过香兰薏米水， 是家乡经常饮用的一道冷饮。冰箱里还有一瓶之前做的薄荷糖浆，今天熬点薏米水，喝的时候加一小勺的薄荷糖浆，薏米和薄荷也很搭哦！

Egg tomato dough drops soup 【番茄鸡蛋疙瘩汤】

My tomato plants didn't thrive very well this year during the summer, whatever we harvested mostly go to my son A's dinner plate.

I made Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes for A one day and he likes it very much, I then made this Egg, Tomato dough drops soup for him some days later. He finished the whole bowl on his own!

今年夏天可能不够热，后院的番茄收成不算好，收成的就尽量留着给儿子吃了。

秋季的最后一批番茄拿来做了几次番茄鸡蛋疙瘩汤，儿子非常喜欢。明年要是还种番茄的话，还要经常给他做。

Japanese Katsu Curry カツカレー 咖喱猪扒饭

This curry rice is one of my comfort foods, I fell in love the first time I had it in Japan years back. I also often order this dish whenever I visit Japanese restaurant here in US, or when I work in NYC, some of the Japanese Deli/Restaurants sell very good Katsu Curry Bento.

I bought a box of very good Kagoshima Kurobuta (かごしま黒豚, "Kagoshima black pig") chop from Japanese Supermarket few days back. 

Since it is long weekends here, I made my favorite Katsu Curry and rice and had one of the best home cook meals in months! 

在日本的时候最喜欢的其中一道美食就是咖喱猪扒饭。来美之后天凉的时候我就爱到日本餐厅叫一客咖喱猪扒饭，吃完觉得元气满满的，可以继续努力工作。

前几天买了非常好的日本黒豚肉排，趁长周末，做一次咖喱猪扒盖饭。今天的午餐是这几周来吃得最满意的了！

Masala Chai with Spiced Syrup 印度香料奶茶（附加香料糖浆食谱）

My husband loves Spiced tea and could have it several times a day. I used to grudge at the chore of repeatedly boiling and cleaning the utensils to make tea. 

Then one day when I was making this Mint Syrup , it suddenly dawned on me that I can also infuse spices in Syrup and make tea with it!!

That way, I can make as many teas as hubby liked and not having to wash pots several times a day!

So I didn't wait too long to take this thought into action, I made a jar of Spiced Syrup and made Tea for my husband, he couldn't tell the difference from boiling the spices in water!

俊爹很爱喝香料奶茶，只要在家一天要喝好几次。刚结婚的时候对于每天要熬制几次奶茶这件事情我是略有怨言的。来美之后因为俊爹工作的关系，需要做茶喝茶的次数见减少了。我也只在周末比较空的时候才会给他做香料奶茶喝。

前阵子熬制薄荷糖浆的时候我灵机一触，觉得加入香料熬制糖浆岂不就是香料糖浆了嘛！制作一大瓶放在冰箱里，要喝茶的时候岂不是就很方便啦？

于是我就制作了这款糖浆，周末早晨用它做了杯奶茶，俊爹完全没发现是糖浆做的哦！还只说味道真好。

Autumn Pear Paste 【秋梨膏】

Autumn Pear Paste or Qiu Li Gao/秋梨膏 is a type of traditional Chinese herbal remedy that was created in the Tang dynasty, initially for the Royal family. 

It is a type of natural throat demulcent and expectorant that is used for the relief of sore throat, coughs, hoarseness, and loss of voice.  

As the weather gets colder and dryer by the day, it is time to make a bottle of this herbal paste and be ready for the winter !

秋梨膏也叫雪梨膏，相传始于唐朝。以精选之秋梨（或鸭梨、雪花梨）为主要原料，配以其它止咳、祛痰、生津、润肺药物熬制而成。

秋梨膏可用于治疗因热燥伤津所致的肺热烦渴、便干燥闷、劳伤肺阴、咳吐白痰、久咳咯血等呼吸道病症。秋梨膏过去是宫廷内专用的药品，直到清朝由御医传出宫廷，才在民间流传。

趁萝卜和秋梨盛产之际，做一瓶秋梨膏，秋冬寒冷干燥时可以给家人宝宝冲水喝，生津解渴还可以预防感冒。

Pickled Celtuce/Guan Tao Cai Sim 自制罐头菜心/酱莴笋

When I was young, whenever I was under the weather, my mom or grandma will make some simple rice congee to go with Canned pickled celtuce, it is supposed to be light on the tummy and helps to get well. 

Grandma's version is a little fancier, she will mince some meat with this pickle and make a simple meat sauce, it is still one of my favorite dishes to go with congee, one that I missed whenever I am not feeling well.

小时候只要感冒或不舒服了，妈妈就会熬一小锅白米粥，再开一罐罐头菜心让我就着吃。

这款罐头菜心也是我阿嬤在生时很爱吃的一款酱菜。阿嬤喜欢加点肉和这款酱菜一起剁然后煮成肉酱吃，拌饭下粥都很适合。

今天早上有点时间，熬了小半锅粥，就着新腌好的酱菜心和昨晚炖猪蹄的花生，这样的早餐吃着真正舒服啊！

Homemade Indian Cottage Cheese 【自制印度奶豆腐/农家奶酪】

I made Rasmalai few weeks back for Diwali Celebration and was left with half big jar of whole milk. Since my fridge is very full and I did't want to waste the milk, I turned it into Paneer so that I can use it for cooking later and for easy storage.

前几周过印度排灯节的时候我做了印度甜品奶汤圆后冰箱还剩下大半桶牛奶，为了节省空间，而且一时半刻也喝不完，我就顺手做了这款奶豆腐/农家奶酪。

即方便储存，也可以做几款俊爹爱吃的菜。

Braised Chicken Wings with Red Wine 【贵妃鸡翅】

I have half a bottle of leftover red wine from our weekend get together, since I don't drink, I used the wine to make this Red wine braised Chicken Wings. It is a very good way to use the left over wine!

The dish has a very interesting name in Chinese，it is called Imperial Concubine Wings as it is said that Imperial Concubine Yang (杨贵妃) in Tang dynasty loved to have chicken wings and loved it braised in red wine/grape wine, that is where the name of this dish came from.

相传，杨贵妃生平最爱吃两种美食，第一种是荔枝，第二种就是鸡翅。

杨玉环曾一度失宠，京剧艺术家据此演义《贵妃醉酒》这出戏、该剧主要是表现杨玉环在宫内备受宠幸，偶尔尼疏，在百花亭独饮，不觉沉醉而哀怨自伤。

后来，有厨师受到这出戏的启发而创制了“贵妃鸡翅”一菜。此菜用葡萄酒煮制鸡翅，具有贵妃醉酒之色韵，巨翅善飞，飞与妃音喻，故得名。

Chestnut Spread（Crème de Marrons） 【栗子酱】

I went to Japan as an exchanged student when I was 15, the small town I visited is famous of chestnuts. My host at that time often brought fresh chestnuts from the local market to make this Chestnut spread. 

I loved having it with with french baguette for breakfast and always thought this spread is Japanese instead of French.

Not until much later that I learnt that this delicious spread is actually of French origin and is the key ingredient in the famous dessert Mont Blanc. 

中学时我曾到日本当过一段时间的交换生，当时寄住的家庭在日本本州一个小镇。小镇盛产栗子，所产的栗子酱在日本也非常有名。

当地人喜欢到菜市场买新鲜的栗子自己在家做栗子酱，我也一直以为栗子酱是日本美食。一直到很多年后才知道它其实是法国美食。

这款栗子酱抹法棍特别好吃，是我当时非常喜欢的早饭选择。秋天是吃栗子的好季节，做一罐栗子酱可以抹面包，也可以做非常好吃的法式甜点哦！

Stir Fried Pumpkin Shoots with garlic 清炒南瓜苗

One Pumpkin plant came out from my dig-and-compost pile and flourish to a big plant not long after. For the whole 3-4 months that it was growing, it gave me plenty of flowers, just no fruit!

The growing season is coming to and end for the year and my pumpkin plant is still showing no sign of fruit. I decided to harvest the shoots instead. I will have to say, it is the best green vegetable I have had for the year!

今年初时我家门口花圃里的堆肥堆里钻出一颗南瓜苗。我很爱吃南瓜，所以特别高兴。可是等了好几个月，花是开了不少，却一只南瓜都不给我结。

南瓜季节已经来到尾声，我家的还是一只南瓜都没有。一怒之下，把南瓜尖全摘了，用蒜蓉清炒了吃，非常爽脆美味，也算收获过了。

Edamame in Rice Wine Brine 糟毛豆

I planted about 10 soy plants around summer and they all thrived and gave a pretty good yield of green beans, which is also the snack edamame that we normally have at Japanese restaurants.

I prepared the first 2 batches of my edamame with spices --> this way.

For the third batch, I wanted something different and marinated the cooked beans with Shanghainese wine brine, it infuses unique wine flavor to the beans and is such a good snack to go with a glass of cold drink!

后院种的毛豆结了不少的毛豆荚，收成了好几茬。头两茬我做了好吃的凉拌毛豆。

第三批我想做点不一样的，就买了瓶糟卤，做了这款糟毛豆。非常香，非常好吃。明年一定还要再种毛豆！

Taiwanese Mooncake (Mung and minced meat Fillings) 台式月饼【绿豆椪】

With Mid-autumn festival just around the corner, it is the time of the year again to enjoy the mid-autumn delicacy Mooncake. 

I made the cute piggy mooncake using the Cantonese mooncake recipe before. This year I decided to try something different and go all the way traditional to make the very old fashion Teochew "Orh-Nee" Mooncake and this Taiwanese Mooncake 绿豆椪. 

I used my minced pork for Gon Loh Fun as filling to this mooncake, it turned out to be the best match and tasting so good that I had to make two batches !

中秋节快到了，又到了社交媒体满屏都是月饼的时候。我前几年做了一次小猪猪月饼后，因为家门前的Costco开始卖台湾产的广式月饼，就一直没有再开工做月饼。

今年我想做点不同的月饼，就选择了传统的潮州（朥饼）月饼 和这款台式月饼绿豆椪。

我用了我的多用途干捞粉肉臊做这款绿豆凸的内馅，味道非常搭，朋友们吃了都说好，结果一共做了两批都还不够吃呢！

食谱依据/recipe modified based on ：

爱厨 -- http://www.euphocafe.com/recipe/recipe.asp?rid=380

周老师 -- http://homeeconomics.pixnet.net/blog/post/66280389-181.%E7%B6%A0%E8%B1%86%E6%A4%AA​

Teochew Mooncake (With Yam and Pumpkin Fillings) 【潮州芋头南瓜月饼】

With Mid-autumn festival just around the corner, it is the time of the year again to enjoy the mid-autumn delicacy Mooncake. 

I made the cute piggy mooncake using the Cantonese mooncake recipe before. This year I decided to try something different and go all the way traditional to make this very old fashion Teochew "Orh-Nee" Mooncake. 

With pumpkin in the season, I even substitute the egg yolk with pumpkin paste filling, which to my great surprise, turned out to be super tasty and looks almost identical to egg yolk!A delightful surprise indeed!

中秋节快到了，又到了社交媒体满屏都是月饼的时候。我前几年做了一次小猪猪月饼后，因为家门前的Costco开始卖台湾产的广式月饼，就一直没有再开工做月饼。

今年我想做点不同的月饼，就选择了这款传统的潮州月饼。这款月饼因为工序复杂，也比较不经放，因此市面上是越来越难买到了。

我不是很喜欢月饼里的咸蛋黄，最近南瓜当季，就做了南瓜芋泥的双色馅，出来的效果很惊艳，除了特别美味之外。南瓜馅还被好多朋友误因为是咸蛋黄呢！

Mint Cucumber Juice 薄荷黄瓜汁

I rescued two cucumber plants from Walmart sometimes end of Summer, they were wilting and turning yellow and Walmart was pretty much giving up on them already.

I planted it at the edge of my raised bed against the backyard fence with a trellis, after days of carefully watering and feeding, the cucumber revived and flourished to two very healthy plants that yield good fruits.

Together with the Mint Syrup that I made using the mint leaves from my backyard, I made this refreshing and almost (the sugar, you see?) detoxifying drink. Just love it!

夏末的时候有一天我到沃尔玛买东西，看见它门口摆着两棵快枯死的黄瓜苗，开着几朵细细小小的黄花，看着让人心疼。我最终还是忍不住把它们买了回家。

我把它们移植到后院菜园子的角落靠近篱笆的地方，勤浇水和施肥的几周之后，两棵黄瓜都满血复活了! 后来还给我结了好多的瓜。

今天摘一根新鲜的瓜，加上一小勺后院薄荷做的薄荷糖浆，很清凉好喝哦！

Dried Yard-Long Bean braised Ribs 【豇豆干炖排骨】

The Asian dried their vegetables a lot around the end of summer/beginning of autumn--when the hours of sunshine are still long enough and air mostly cold and dry.

The dried vegetables will then be stored for consumption during the months when fresh vegetables are not readily available.

Dried Yard-long bean is one of the kind, drying the vegetables intensified the flavor of the vegetable and gives a completely different texture to it, which makes it very suitable for braising.

Dried Yard-long bean is especially good when braised with pork/ribs. This dish is so good that I ended up having another bowl of rice with it!

很多亚洲家庭喜欢在秋初把菜园子收成的蔬菜晒制成菜干留着冬天时没什么青菜吃的时候炖了吃。

我很久前听过一位朋友说豇豆/豆角干炖肉非常好吃，我自小就爱吃豇豆，但干豇豆却从来都没尝试过，于是干豇豆好吃我就记挂上了。

前阵子在我家附近的大华99发现了干豇豆，买回来和排骨一起炖上。结果那天晚餐又多加了一碗饭。

Mint Limeade & Mint Syrup 【薄荷柠檬水& 薄荷糖浆】

I have a mint plant in my backyard that has been with us for years, it survived a few winters and always managed to come back to flourish. I normally used the leaves to make Pudina chutney or garnish to dishes.

This year I started using fresh mint leaves to make mint syrup to be used in different drinks and desserts. It is so good that I made so many batches in the span of few weeks! My mint plant can hardly keep up with my demand!

我家的后院种了一盆薄荷，每年冬天它都会枯萎冬眠，我会给它施肥加土。第二年春天它也绝不例外地再次钻出土来，又会茂盛地生长一个春夏。

薄荷叶我一般只会拿来做印式薄荷沾酱或饮料食品的点缀。所以种的薄荷也用得不是特别多。

今年夏天我做了这款薄荷糖浆，用来做好多不同的饮料。家人都好喜欢，一个月内我就做了好几瓶。结果后院的薄荷都长不够我用了呢!

【多用途干捞粉肉臊】Minced Meat Sauce for Gon Loh Fun (and more)

Braised minced pork is a very versatile condiment in Malaysia.  It is vastly used in noodle dishes like Gon Lou Lai Fun and noodle soups.

It can also be used to make different kind of dishes like Potato and minced meat stew.

这款肉臊是马来西亚人习惯的味道，可用在各种不同的面食和菜肴里。做一罐放冰箱里，要做家乡美食就很简单啦！

Taiwanese Braised Napa Cabbage 台式白菜卤

One of the side dishes that I enjoyed much during my visit to Taiwan was this Taiwanese Braised Cabbage. The Napa cabbage in this dish is so tender and sweet, goes well with steamed rice and braised pork.

The Asian supermarket near me is currently selling lots of Napa Cabbage as the season approaching fall. I brought one back to make this dish at home. I also find the fried pork rinds which is (in my opinion) essential to this dish as it soaked up most of the gravy and gives very nice chewy texture to the dish!

去台湾玩的时候我如果去吃小吃店里的卤肉饭或封肉饭的话，就一定会点一份这个白菜卤。非常喜欢卤得糯糯的白菜，非常香甜美味。

入秋时超市开始摆出非常棒的大白菜，买一颗回来做这个白菜卤，非常下饭好吃，里边的猪皮吸饱了汤汁，非常香。

Thai Lettuce Wraps 泰式生菜包

My husband N went to the gym last weekend and came home demanding high protein low carb lunch.  

I have some organic minced chicken breast and romaine lettuce in the fridge, so here it is, Thai Chicken lettuce wraps for lunch!

俊爹周末时去健身房回来就要求高蛋白低碳水化合物的午餐。冰箱里有一包有机肉末和一包生菜，我就做了这款泰式生菜包。加点切碎的辣椒，香辣好吃又饱肚哦！

Pineapple Chicken Satay & Pineapple Satay Sauce 【黄梨沙爹/黄梨沙爹酱】

I had the famous Kota Laksamana Pineapple Satay during my last visit to Malaysia, it was really nice as the pineapple sauce really adds not only flavor but a good refreshing touch to the skewers!

I created the recipe few weeks back when my friend invited us over for a BBQ at her house. The chicken marinated with some Pineapple turned out really tender and the sauce really compliments the satay, all the guests liked it very much.

今年春节回乡的时候和朋友们到马六甲吃了这款有名的黄梨沙爹。加了黄梨制作的酱料吃起来很清爽，不油腻，也不容易上火。

回美之后有一天朋友请我们到她家一起烧烤聚餐，我就做了这款黄梨沙爹，加了黄梨酱腌制的鸡肉烤好非常的嫩。沾了好吃的黄梨沙爹酱，当天来的客人们都很喜欢哦！

Homemade Ginger Ale 姜汁汽水

I am not a big fan of soda with one exception-- Ginger ale. 

It was my go to during the pregnancy time to help ease the morning sickness, nausea. It is also my favourite way to chase away the summer heat. 

It takes only few minutes to make a glass of this refreshing cold drink at home, you can also adjust the taste and sugar level to your taste!

我一般不怎么喝汽水，但却很喜欢美国这里的姜汁汽水。它曾帮助我缓解几年前怀孕时的孕吐情况。

姜汁汽水可以自己在家做，可按自己的喜好调整姜汁的浓度和糖份。

下次宴客的时候，做一瓶姜汁汽水，你的客人一定很惊喜哦！

Scallion Crepe 葱花摊饼

The spring onion/scallion I planted this year is growing very well, some of them as thick as the size of fingers!

Since it is so healthy, I harvest them very often to make many different kinds
of dishes.

I have also made this crepe many times, my son A and hubby loved it!

我家后院菜园子里的青葱今年长得特别壮，长得都有手指头粗！我经常摘了做各种美食。

这款葱花摊饼我做了好几次，儿子和俊爹都很爱吃。

Homemade Preserved radish/Chai Poh 自制菜脯

Back home whenever mom/grandma makes porridge/congee, there will definitely be a plate of preserved radish  omelette.

A lot of the preserved radish/Chai poh sold in the market are imported, if you read the label printed on the packaging, the ingredients listed include -- “traces of nitrates”, “E211 (sodium benzoate)”, “E975 (saccharine)” and many other ingredients that I can't even pronounce. It is just making one wonders what is the implication of those chemical stuff and how they make their ways into this traditional treat.

The Radishes sold in the Asian market were really fresh and tasty around end April/May this year, with 29 cents a lbs and plenty of cold/dry air and sunshine.
I can't help but to bring some home to make homemade preserved radish.

小时候妈妈或外婆煮粥的时候通常都菜桌上都会有一道菜脯煎蛋。菜脯/萝卜干是一个非常平民的食材，可以拿来做很多不同的小吃和菜肴。

市场上卖的菜脯/萝卜干大多是进口的，如果你看菜脯包装上列出的材料的话，就会发现市售的菜脯用了很多的化学添加物，多吃还真的对身体不好哦！

过去农耕时代，菜脯是萝卜盛产时把萝卜腌制起来方便保存的一个做法，我想既然过去可以在家做菜脯，现在当然也可以在家自己制作菜脯罗！

四五月时我们这里的亚洲超市萝卜打折，一磅才两毛九。而且四五月的天气很适合制作菜脯，所以我就买了十几磅的大萝卜，自己制作好吃的菜脯。

Braised Long Bean Noodles 豆角/豇豆焖面

I love Flat Bean Braised Noodles and made it many times, it is quick and very nutritious, an easy one pot meal for the family and could be done in under 30 minutes!

I made this favourite dish today using Long bean and carrot, it turned out even better in taste! I will most likely do this more often in future!

我超喜欢吃扁豆焖面，也经常做。平时工作比较忙碌的时候回家焖上这个面，从开始准备到吃上饭也就半个小时左右，还蔬菜、蛋白质和碳水化合物都有了。而且非常好吃哦！

这一次用豆角和胡萝卜焖这个面，更美味。下次除了扁豆，我应该会经常做豆角焖面了哦！

Sugary triangle buns 糖三角

In the old days, when there is extra dough, while making meat/vegetable steamed buns, the housewives will use sugar as the filling. These buns are made into triangle shape to differentiate from the other buns with different kind of fillings.

The kids in the house normally liked the sugar filling buns much more than the meat/veggie ones. I have added some roasted black sesame powder in my fillings, it is much tastier than just sugar and flour!

包子是中国北方许多家庭喜爱的主食，以前做包子时如果有多余的面团，妈妈们会加点糖和面粉做内馅做这款糖三角。

糖馅的包子做成三角型是为了方便辨识馅料，这款包子孩子们很爱吃。

天热，俊宝没什么胃口，我就给他做了这款糖三角，加了点烤香的黑芝麻磨成的粉，味道更香。

Chinese Toon Sauce Fried Rice 香椿酱炒饭

I made Chinese Toon Sauce with Chinese Toon young leaves I collected from my friend's backyard not long ago. 

My first use of it was to make this fried rice, the taste is very unique and almost galicky. I like it very much!

之前把从朋友家收集来的香椿嫩叶一大半做了香椿酱，一小半做了香椿煎蛋。

香椿酱先拿来做了这个炒饭，香椿独特的香味让炒饭很美味，让人吃了还想再吃。

Purslane Salad，Chinese Style 凉拌马齿苋

Purslane is a succulent annual trailing plant that grows in many places and it thrives in poor soil. You can find them in almost any places with full sunshine, roadsides, disturbed land and most likely your backyard!

It can be eaten as a cooked vegetable and is great to use in salads, soups, stews or any dish you wish to sprinkle it over. Purslane is antibacterial, antiscorbutic, depurative, diuretic and febrifuge. The leaves are a very rich source of omega-3 fatty acids which prevents heart attacks and strengthens the immune system.

I collected some purslane from the riverside one afternoon when I was strolling around and made this salad for lunch later on.

马齿苋是一个常见的野菜，生长于田野间，大路边，甚至于墙角下都可能有它的踪影。

“马齿苋”是“马苋菜”的同义词。 属于马齿科一年生肉质草本植物，学名“马齿苋”，民间俗称“马蜂菜”，是一种特色野菜。因其生命力极强，又有“长寿菜”之称。

马苋菜为药食两用植物，全草可供药用，有清热利湿、解毒消肿、消炎、止渴、利尿作用；种子可明目，可作兽药和农药；嫩茎叶可作蔬菜，味酸，也可作饲料。

前两天散步时发现一堆马齿苋，摘了一大把回家做了凉拌马齿苋，很好吃哦！

Blue Pea Flower Ice Cubes in Milk 蝶豆花冰牛奶

I made Blue Chai and Natural Blue Soda using the butterfly pea flower my mom sent before. I then freeze some of the unsweetened blue chai in a cute dinosaur ice cube box and use it as to serve with some cold milk for my son's play date, it is so cute and beautiful that all kids enjoyed it thoroughly.

前阵子我用娘家给我准备的蝶豆花干做了消暑健康的蓝花/蝶豆花茶 和 梦幻蝶豆花饮料。

我把剩下不加糖和柠檬汁的蓝花/蝶豆花茶倒到可爱的恐龙制冰盒里做成了可爱的蓝恐龙冰块。

在俊宝的小朋友们来家里玩的时候加到冰牛奶里给孩子们喝，颜色好看又可爱，小朋友们都和喜欢哦！

How to grow bean sprouts at home 在家自己发豆芽

Mung bean sprout is one very common ingredient for cooking back home. I like to use it in my stir fry noodle/rice noodle dishes. The shop bought bean sprouts are sometimes not fresh and turned bad within days before I could use them.

I started growing my own bean sprouts at home using an old kettle at first. I then progressed to using just a normal bowl with a lid, the lid should be slightly heavy and covers most if not all of the beans.

I have since able to grow very healthy and delicious sprouts at home.

绿豆芽是家乡许多美食的最佳佐料，是个百搭。我很喜欢炒面、米粉什么的用豆芽做佐料，可有个问题一直困扰着我，每次超市买的豆芽要是两天内不吃完很快就烂掉了，而且有时超市里的豆芽看着也不怎么新鲜，所以还是自己发的豆芽吃着新鲜，还放心。

我刚开始发豆芽的时候还用过旧水壶，篮子+纱布啥的。后来有一次在油管上看见一位农村妈妈用大钢盆加个锅盖发出来的豆芽特别直特别好看，从此以后我发豆芽就只用大盆加个锅盖了。

答应了朋友圈里的朋友们要把发豆芽的过程写个帖子分享。今晚趁爷儿俩已经熟睡了，我就静静地写个帖子吧！

Chinese Toon Sauce 【香椿酱】

I send my son to a friend's house for a playdate sometimes in the beginning of May and she asked if I want some Chinese Toon (香椿) -- a species of Toona 

where its young leaves are extensively used as a vegetable in China. The young leaves have a floral, yet onion-like flavor. It is widely used as flavoring agent in vegetarian/vegan dishes in China.

I immediately seize the opportunity and harvest a bunch of Chinese Toon from her backyard. I came home and made this Sauce which can then make into many delicious dishes later.

五月初的时候有一天带儿子到朋友Katie家和她儿子玩，一进门她就问我要不要香椿叶，然后递了一把剪刀给我。我马上就跑到她家后院剪了一把的香椿嫩叶，这可是我想了很久的美食哪！

当晚回家我就做了这个香椿酱，冷藏了可以留着慢慢吃。

Bird Nest with Snow Pear 【冰糖雪梨炖燕窝】

My mom saw my Bird Nest with Red Dates and Gingko and Bird Nest on Chicken Congee earlier and told me her friend likes to make bird nest with Snow Pear. It sounded like a really good recipe and I made it few days ago and had to make it again in two days, it is really that delicious!

我妈早前看见我做的冰糖红枣白果燕窝和燕窝鸡丝粥 ，就说她有个朋友喜欢用雪梨炖燕窝，味道很好也非常滋润。我听了觉得这个做法真的很不错，某天下午就做了这个冰糖雪梨炖燕窝，我能说这是我吃过最棒的燕窝糖水吗？

Aam Papad/Mango Fruit Roll-Ups 【日晒芒果卷】

The weather forecast is showing a 3 day continuation of hot sunny days, I make sure to take advantage of the power of nature and sun-dried a couple of snacks for us. 

The Ataulfo mangoes I bought this time were not very sweet, maybe it is still early in the season, together with the Sun-dried Sweet Potatoes I posted earlier, I also made this Mango roll ups.

It turned out so tasty the whole family likes it!

今年美东的夏天来的比较晚，一直到上一周天气才升温到九十华氏度以上。上周看见气象预测里说了会有连续三天的九十度高温艳阳天，正适合利用阳光进行食物脱水和日晒。  

于是和之前上过帖子的日晒红薯干一起，我还晒了这款日晒芒果卷，两天半晒出QQ甜甜很有嚼劲的芒果卷，装瓶密封就是很健康又美味的零食啦！

Sun-dried Sweet Potatoes【日晒红薯干】

The summer came rather late this year, not until last week that we started experiencing the temperature above 90s F. Since the weather forecast is showing a 3 days continuation of hot sunny days, I make sure to take advantage of the power of nature and sun-dried a couple of snacks for us.

The first one I made was this Sun-dried Sweet potatoes that is a very famous healthy snack in Fujian Province, where my ancestors are from. It took me 2 and 1/2 days and it turned out so sweet and yummy! Just like the ones that I had in Fujian years back.

今年美东的夏天来的比较晚，一直到上一周天气才升温到九十华氏度以上。上周看见气象预测里说了会有连续三天的九十度高温艳阳天，正适合利用阳光进行食物脱水和日晒。

于是我就晒了一批红薯干，两天半就晒出QQ甜甜很有嚼劲的红薯干，装瓶密封就是很健康又美味的零食啦！

Jia Xing Meat Dumplings 【嘉兴鲜肉粽】

"Jiaxing zongzi" (嘉兴粽子): It is one famous kind of zongzi in mainland China named after the city Jiaxing. The filling is typically pork but also can be mung beans, red beans or salted duck eggs.

I made a small batch of this Jia Xing dumplings specifically for a friend from Nanjing, this is the kind of dumplings she grew up eating, I am glad that I did as it turned out so good and I am very glad to learn again one more dumplings recipe.

这款嘉兴肉粽是为一位南京朋友做的，是她心心念念的家乡味，这款粽子我是第一次做，出来的效果很是不错，味道很好哦！

“嘉兴粽子”是浙江嘉兴特色传统名点，具有悠久历史。嘉兴粽子以糯而不糊，肥而不腻，香糯可口，咸甜适中而著称。尤以鲜肉粽最为出名，被誉为“粽子之王”。嘉兴粽子因其滋味鲜美，携带、食用方便而备受广大旅游者厚爱，有“东方快餐”之称。

资料来源--http://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%98%89%E5%85%B4%E7%B2%BD%E5%AD%90

Bird Nest on Chicken Congee 【燕窝鸡丝粥】

I made Bird Nest with Red Dates and Gingko earlier as dessert earlier and have a few more pieces of bird nests left. I wanted to make a savory version of bird nest soup and the thought of Chicken Congee came to my mind.

Since I have some organic chicken at home, I made this congee for lunch and shared with my friend, she too agrees that it is yummy.

前几天泡的燕窝一半做了冰糖红枣白果燕窝 ，剩下的我想做成咸口味的燕窝粥。家里有刚买的有机鸡肉，于是我做了这个燕窝鸡丝粥约了朋友一起吃，味道很是不错哦!

Cantonese Style Dumplings 【广式咸肉粽】

It was Dumpling/Dragon Festival last week, it is a tradition at home to make some dumplings (glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves) during the season.

This year I started the festival with this Cantonese Style of Dumplings which have moong beans in it and tasted though different than the type of Bak Zhang that  I am used to and loved, it is still one  of my favourites.

今年端午节前一直想着要裹点粽子过节，材料都买好了，却一直等到端午节当天才有时间裹，虽然闽南烧肉粽是每年一定要裹的家乡味。

今年所裹的第一款肉粽却是这款港式/广式肉粽，它是我很喜欢的一款肉粽，也是俊干妈的家乡味，裹好分一半给俊干爹干妈过节。

Bird Nest with Red Dates and Gingko 【冰糖红枣白果炖燕窝】

Around 10 years ago, my dad built a high rise building with a few little holes and no windows in one of our farms, he called it "Swiftlet house", with that he started his side business farming Swiftlet for its nest. 

The term “Swiftlet farming” may spike confusion that it is a business of farming or domesticating swiftlet to be reared in a confined space like chickens in a chicken coop. This is far from the truth as Swiftlets cannot be domesticated. 

The idea of swiftlet farming is not to actually raise these birds for sale, but for their nests, which is highly sought after especially by the Chinese. 

The swiftlet nest, or commonly called bird’s nest, is a Chinese delicacy since the Tang Dynasty of China (618 – 907 A.D.). The nests are simmered with broth into bird’s nest soup. 

Though we have many "farmed" bird nests ready back at home, it is unfortunate that Bird nest is in the list of US customs food restriction list. Since I can't bring our very own bird nests here, I went searching online and bought two boxes of bird nests and made it the way my mom would.

It feels much better having this sweet soup though I am far away from home.

大约10年前，俊外公在郊外的林子里建了一间高高的，四面无窗却有着几个小洞洞的建筑物。他说这是“燕屋”，等着燕子们来入住；从此踏上了养燕之路。后来的好几年，俊外公陆陆续续地和朋友们合资，又建了好几间的燕屋。有的相当成功，吸引了不少的燕子来定居，有的不算太好，燕子们都不来。

所以俊外公经常说，所谓的养燕子。其实就是给燕子们提供一个相对有吸引力的住所，剩下的，就是运气了。燕子不需要喂食，也不需要医疗照应，只要定期地给燕屋进行清理，然后定期采收燕窝即可。

家养的燕窝在质量上和野外采收的燕窝差别并不大，还很可能更人道一些。因为采收的时候只会采集燕子已经不再使用的燕窝，燕子下了蛋，孵出雏鸟喂养成年之后就会弃巢重新建立新的鸟巢，再下蛋再养幼鸟。所以业内也有个标准，就是燕窝只能采集已经被燕子弃用的鸟巢。

话说得有点远了，每次回娘家，吃的燕窝都是很夸张的一整碗熬得浓稠的粥。我怀孕的时候，俊外公最大的遗憾就是没能让我经常吃上他的燕窝。所以他来美国看我的时候，还准备了一大盒要带来给我，还好上机前被我在视频里劝阻了。燕窝和任何和鸟类有关的食品/产品都是被禁止带入美国的哦！想吃还是在美国境内买来吃吧！

Fried Radish Cake/ Char Kueh Kak 炒粿角

Char Kueh Kak is a very famous Penang/Teoh Chew street food. It has got its name Kuah Kak (sides of the cake) from steamed radish cake, where the cake was steamed in a round bamboo basket back in the old days. Once cut into diamond or rectangular shapes to be serve or sell in the market, the remaining sides that are left will then be cubed and made into this delicious fried Cake.

Since the fried cake has become increasingly popular, plain or simple rice cake without radish is now commonly use to make this dish, thus you can also use shop bought (vietnamese) rice cake as substitute to the radish cake I used here.

炒粿角是一款和炒粿条齐名的槟城小吃，古早时候是用家里制作的“菜头粿”（萝卜糕）边角切丁炒制而成，所以有“粿角”的名称。

目前小吃摊买的粿角大多是用粘米粉蒸制成的粘米糕（也叫白糕）切丁炒制的了。时间久远，慢慢地，粿角成了粘米糕的代名词。而几乎所有的炒粿角都必定是用粘米糕制作的了。

我前阵子蒸了一大盆的腊味萝卜糕，第二天就做了这款炒粿角当早饭，非常好吃哦！

Steamed Black Locust Blossoms 槐花麦饭

I learnt to identify black locust blossoms a few years back from my friend LR , the species of edible flower in China is actually called "Huai Hua" (槐花) Styphnolobium japonicum (L.). 

The one that we found in the woods here in the Eastern part of the USA is actually Black Locust (洋槐花）Robinia pseudoacacia. 

Both the blossoms are very similar in shapes and tastes. Since Black locust blossoms is widely eaten in Europe and USA as fresh salad or made into snacks or jam. So it is almost safe to say that it can be used interchangeably with Chinese Huai Hua Styphnolobium japonicum (L.) in any recipes.

Huai hua is normally served steamed with a little wheat/corn flour and spicy sauce, a very tasty and hearty romantic way to serve flowers! 

几年前在好友的带领下我在我家附近的树林里发现了好几棵洋槐树，当时现场吃了好多的槐花，还带了好些回来做饼吃。

后来我在网上做了点搜索，发现中国国内吃的槐花学名叫Styphnolobium japonicum (L.) 。美东这里找到的是洋槐花 （Black Locust）Robinia pseudoacacia. 

这两款花味道和形状都特别相似，洋槐花在欧洲和美国也有食用的历史，经常被拿来做小吃，所以拿洋槐花来做槐花料理是绝对安全也非常美味的。

今早去农夫市场买菜的时候发现那里附近的树林里好多棵野生洋槐树，都开满了花，我就近摘了小半袋回来蒸槐花麦饭当午餐。