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Shrimp Shumai

Shumai are a type of Chinese dumpling often associated with Cantonese cuisine. While many in the West have become familiar with it through dim sum (yum cha), it actually exists in many forms throughout China (and the rest of Asia). Steamed or pan fried, partially or fully enveloped in dough, filled with everything from pork [...]

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Savory Zucchini Bread

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The first time I ever had zucchini bread as I child, it kind of blew my mind. “Wow, you mean you can turn a vegetable into dessert?!” I said. A few dozen years later, remixing notions of what ingredients go together is my favorite way to create new dishes. This week’s clearance basket from my [...]

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Pork Tamales

11 comments

A great chef once told me that if a recipe isn’t working out, then take an ingredient out. The lesson being, that if you’re using fresh, wholesome ingredients, simple is almost always better. That’s why most of my cooking tends to be simple. But as with any rule, there are always exceptions. French pastries are [...]

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Fish and Chips

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It’s been over three years since my last fish and chips post. While there was nothing wrong with it, I’ve always been a fan of the adage “if it ain’t broke, then take it apart and make it better”. Yep, I was “that kid” that would take apart a brand new Nintendo (amongst other household [...]

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Korean Fried Chicken (Yangnyeom Chikin)

31 comments

My first Korean fried chicken experience was at Bon Chon Chicken in Tribeca over five years ago. It was an epiphany not just because it was delectable, but because it was the first time that it had occurred to me that KFC could stand for something other than Kentucky Fried Chicken. Since then, I’ve gone [...]

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Wonton Soup

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Looking at the photo you may be asking where the wontons are. Before I answer this question you first have to undertand that texture is an important part of wonton noodle soup; the texture of the noodles, the texture of the wonton, and even the texture of the shrimp inside is critical to a really [...]

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Caterpillar Roll

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I often hear from people that are surprised by the lack of rolls at sushi restaurants in Japan. For those that only eat rolls, it can be a problem, but for those that are a little more adventurous it’s a chance to try authentic nigiri sushi that you’d have a hard time finding in the [...]

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California Roll

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I tend to categorize American sushi restaurants into two buckets: traditional places where you can get a wide selection of fresh nigiri sushi, and the non-traditional places that have pages upon pages of inventive makisushi. If I had to choose between the two, I’d take the one with the stoic Japanese dude forming little pillows [...]

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