It’s the still midsummer air that reminds me to check on the figs. With their deep green leaves shading them, figs are having the coolest, quietest summer of anyone. I remember many years ago my siblings and I didn’t care for them due to their odd looking insides (the flesh and seeds of the cut […]
Wendy Chan
Posted inEat + Drink
French Butter Crab
As a college student in 1990, I bartended at Peko’s Bar in the Sunset District around 19th Avenue in San Francisco. One cold night, a customer brought me the famous roasted crab from the storied Vietnamese restaurant Thanh Long. It was the best crab I had ever tasted. I went back to the restaurant with […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Together for a New Year Feast
Chinese New Year is around the corner, falling on Feb. 5 this year. To celebrate the Year of the Golden Pig, my southern Chinese family’s tradition is to have savory rice ball soup the night before, whereas the northerners like to have dumplings. The soft little balls made from glutinous rice flour symbolize closeness and […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Huckleberry Scones
The sun was still warm on a crisp November afternoon. With buckets and gloves, we were on our fourth huckleberry picking trip of the season. Surrounded by fresh air and natural beauty, I felt so fortunate to call Humboldt my home. Living on the North Coast, we can start picking the huckleberries as early as […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Stuffed, Rolled and Fried
My kids would probably say I’m the best mom ever if I brought them hot lunch at school every day but I don’t. Once in a while, though, I do bring special lunches to surprise them. Their favorites are scallion pancakes wraps, lumpia and sub sandwiches. On some weekends, my boys request scallion pancakes and […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Homemade Silver Pin Noodles
There are many recipes for handmade Chinese silver pin noodles, sometimes called needle noodles or yin zhen fen. However my favorite is the one my grandma used to make for us when I was a kid. Every time I make these noodles, I think of the good old times with her in China. The fragrance […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Thinking Outside the Jar
I’ve loved Henry’s Olives ever since my friend introduced them to me a few years back. But the idea of cooking with the locally made, hand-cured olives never crossed my mind. Time to be adventurous — and unconventional. Last month I threw some in my Chinese chicken dish and my family loved it. The warmth […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Sweet and Savory New Year Dumplings
Gong hei fat choi, or congratulations and be prosperous, is one way to wish everyone a happy Chinese New Year. Food is another. When it comes to Chinese New Year feasts, there are so many dishes to prepare, like fresh fish, chicken, goose, roast pork belly, noodles and so on. Dumplings are a must for […]
Posted inEat + Drink
The Joy of Persimmons
In China, when my grandpa would come back from the market, he’d bring a little brown cloth filled with dried Hachiya persimmons — sweet and chewy, they were our special treat. In Northern California, we have plenty of persimmons from late fall through winter. Fuyu and Hachiya are the most common — the former is […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Magic Pumpkin
Pumpkins are my favorite fall and winter vegetable — though technically a fruit. There are so many dishes you can make with them and you can get few meals out of just one pumpkin. I also love them because they are high in nutrients, antioxidant rich and low calorie. The color of any pumpkin dish […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Purple Yam Dim Sum
Autumn. I can feel the warmth of the leftover summer sunlight on my cheeks. The smell of the crisp breeze, the taste of harvest sweetness put me in the mood to create new dishes in fall. In fact, there are a few dishes I’ve enjoyed making when I get together with friends for afternoon tea, […]