Soy + Ginger Recipe #43: Braised pork belly with eggs will become the cozy dish of your winter dreams. Every family has their own version of this dish, ours happens to combine the best of Chinese and Vietnamese flavors.
Read MoreSoy + Ginger recipe #39 features a hybrid French Chinese dish a lá Dad's mom. She brought the recipe to the States from her time in French Indochina, taught it to Mom after she married my Dad, who then taught it to me. We've all tweaked it along the way, and with each generation it gets a little bit better.
Read MoreSoy + Ginger recipe #37. Wontons may not get the cult following that their dumpling counter parts receive, but they're just as deserving. Nothing is more satisfying than a steaming bowl of pork and shrimp wonton, especially when they're homemade, and you'll agree that they're as good as dumplings once you try Mom's pork and shrimp wontons.
Read MoreSoy + Ginger recipe #34, Mamma Li's edamame beans will blow your mind—it's so simple and easy yet so delicious. You'll be surprised at how good such simple flavors can be, thanks to the natural yumminess of the edamame—the perfect way to honor Mamma Li on Mother's Day, sharing one of her favorite on-the-good recipes.
Read MoreSoy + Ginger recipe #32: Chinese BBQ pork, or char siu, used to be a celebratory take-out dish for the Phan household, but over time Mamma Li decided that the food coloring would poison us. So now we have a recipe of our own!
Read MoreSoy+Ginger Recipe #31: Sticky rice with scallion infused oil and pork fu—a simpler dish than it sounds, it's full of flavor and texture which together form a perfect melody.
Read MoreSoy + Ginger Recipe #29: Canned dace with salted black beans is a staple item in most Chinese households because it's quick, easy, and delicious. You don't even need a can opener to enjoy the dish, it's that simple!
Read MoreSoy + Ginger recipe #24: Beef chow fun, a classic Cantonese dish made with ho fun, or wide flat rice noodles. It's pretty mainstream, but sometimes that's okay because it's mainstream for a reason—it's delicious AF.
Read MoreSoy + Ginger recipe #22: Celebrating a gold medal performance from Team USA during the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics with the Vietnamese bun noodle, which, despite its name, embodies the very nature of this great country.
Read MoreSoy + Ginger Recipe #20: Beef and bitter melon, or the original beef and broccoli—because Mamma Li never allowed take-out Chinese in the Phan household...which happens to be yours truly's guilty pleasure and secret shame.
Read MoreSoy + Ginger Recipe #19: Sticky rice with shiitake mushrooms and Chinese sausage, relayed by Mom and improved by Auntie Six, who is very much the big sister to Mom, who is the second youngest in a family of eight girls. Shout out to Granddaddy and all the Fathers who love their daughters. Happy Father's Day!
Read MoreSoy + Ginger Recipe #17: Kick off your next celebration with Pork Belly Cold Cuts, a traditional appetizer for when it's time to P-A-R-T-Y. It's both easy and packed full of pho-like flavor, sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Read MoreSoy + Ginger Recipe #15: Steamed Chicken with Red Dates + Goji Berries captures both savory and sweet in one dish. And as provincial and traditional as this dish is, it can be found in restaurants...in Ireland, as evident by my delirious search for home cooking while under-the-weather during a trip abroad.
Read MoreSoy + Ginger Recipe #13: Concluding the three-part Chinese New Year's special are fun zodiac predictions (spoiler alert: tigers are not doing so greeeeeat) along with a traditional New Year's Phan family favorite recipe—trotters with lotus root.
Read MoreSoy + Ginger Recipe #10: Poached chicken with scallion sauce—a dish that can always be found around the dinner table because of its ease and full flavor. Because of its simplicity, each ingredient really adds value to the overall dish, so don't skimp here! Dish inspired by Master of None.
Read MoreSoy + Ginger Recipe #8: Hamburger Rice, a dish Mom invented in the '90s when she had two active kids to shuffle around while still working full-time. It's simple to make and delicious to eat, combining classic American fare (burgers!) with Chinese cuisine (rice!). It's Mom's rendition of Hamburger Helper, only better.
Read MoreSoy + Ginger Recipe #7: Douchi Steamed Ribs—welcome to the wonderful world of fermented soybeans, an ingredient much tastier than it sounds. Serving as the principal flavor note, this healthy provincial steamed dish is no less flavor-packed and delicious than its BBQ counterpart.
Read MoreSoy + Ginger Recipe #5: Pork + Pickled Turnip Meatloaf is a provincial dish—if the Chinese ate hamburgers, this would be it, but instead of buns, we use rice to layer the meat. Oh, and it's steamed. Our family likes to use pickled turnip which provides this dish with unique salty goodness in every bite. If you like pickles and savory foods, this is THE dish for you.
Read MoreSoy + Ginger Recipe #1—Bold but simple, lemongrass pork chop is one of mom's favorite recipes, and therefore the natural choice for the first dish of many to come on the culinary adventure I plan to embark on with her and dad. They tell me how to make all the traditional goodies I grew up with, I attempt to master them, and you become privy to the provincial dishes of China and Vietnam, without having to step further than your local grocery store...with the occasional visit to Chinatown.
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