Yu Hsiang Beef Noodles

The first time I had food flavored with Yu Hsiang was at Mary Chung's in Central Square, and it immediately became one of my favorites. The sauce is a sweet and hot and garlicky, and goes well with just about any kind of stir fry. I attempted to make it at home, and the result was so successful I made it again the next day.

Thai(ish) Pork Kebabs

This dish is one I like to make when I find quality ground pork. Because it's winter, I pan-fried it, but I usually make these on the grill (and on sticks). Pork has a wonderful taste on its own, and in this dish it is complemented by southeast Asian flavors.

Bourbon Chicken

This is a bourbon chicken along the lines of what you get in mall and airport food courts. It actually a pretty simple dish, as it comes down to basically chicken and sauce.

Stuffed Eggplant

I try to eat a balanced diet without too much meat, and using ground meat as a stuffing in a vegetable is a good way to make a savory, filling, and healthy dish. Winter squash and pumpkins are good vegetables to use in colder months, and eggplant is a good vegetable year-round. This is eggplant stuffed with a mix of ground beef and lamb.

Sauteed Bok Choy

I got some fresh organic bok choy from the farmers' market, and wanted to cook it in a way that let its flavor come through. I chose to quickly saute it, a cooking method that works well with fresh summer vegatables.

Orange Beef

One of the first Chinese dishes I ate was crispy orange beef, and I loved it. It was the perfect mix of salty, spicy, crispy, sweet, and sour. Every time I've had it since then I've been disappointed it wasn't quite as good as that first one. This was my attempt to get as close as possible to recreate that dish.

Quick Noodle Soup

Soup is no one's favorite food in 80 degree weather, but this preparation is left over from winter... which only ended two days ago. I'm sure there will be a few more chilly days coming through for this to be useful. The soup is made with buckwheat noodles and topped with some Teriyaki Beef. The key is, as always, homemade broth which keeps well in the fridge or freezer.

Ratatouille : A Guest Post from Eleanor

Seth invited me over for dinner yet again, offering to make burgers on Udi's gluten free buns. On my way to meet him I stopped by CMart, a small Chinese grocery in Boston's Chinatown and looked around for what seemed freshest. Surprisingly, I left the store with the ingredients for, ratatouille.