The “Secret Menu” at Szechuan Garden (753 18th St., Arcata) might be more accurately titled the Student Menu. Owner Nina Zhao, a native of Shenyang in Northern China who took over the place five years ago, added the page and a half list because so many Chinese and Chinese American students from Humboldt State University […]
Chinese cuisine
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 […]
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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 […]
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After the Feast, Congee
Maybe you’re a more disciplined person than I am. Maybe after the preparations, the cooking, the gorging, the food coma and the dish washing that follow a holiday meal, you can spring up from the bed/couch/floor and begin chopping ingredients for turkey soup. Maybe, like my Sicilian mother-in-law, you’re already melting butter for a Tetrazzini […]
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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 […]