Football season has arrived, so it’s time to grill and entertain. Besides grilling yummy food, I like to serve strawberry lemonade during football season, because it’s still hot outside and it helps to cool off after cheering like a maniac. This strawberry lemonade recipe has lots of flavor and my husband says it tastes similar to the Cheesecake Factory strawberry lemonade. It’s the perfect late summer drink and all the lemon is bound to help the sore throat you get from cheering on your team!

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 5 to 6 lemons)
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar (if you like it very sweet, add another 1/4 cup)
1 pint fresh strawberries (hulled then puréed)
1 cup sparkling water

Makes 3 to 4 servings

Directions:

Step 1: Bring water and sugar to a boil in a pot. When the sugar dissolves, add lemon juice and grated lemon peel and let it simmer for a minute. Turn off heat and let it cool down completely. When cool, strain into a clean pitcher.

Step 2: Purée the strawberries in a blender. Add the puréed strawberries to the lemon juice and stir well. Now add 1 cup of sparkling water and stir well again. Refrigerate until cold. Serve in glasses filled with ice and garnish with fresh strawberries if desired.

I love anything with walnuts and dark chocolate, so I made dark chocolate walnut brownies! I like making brownies from scratch since I can control the sugar level. I think 1/2 cup of sugar was plenty for me. There was just enough sweetness with a lot of dark chocolate aroma. You can add more sugar if desired and use milk chocolate cocoa powder if you don’t like dark chocolate. This dessert goes well with ice cream, milk, espresso, or by itself!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar (add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup if you like it sweet)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Makes 9 large or 16 small brownies

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 inch square pan.

Step 2: Melt 1/2 cup butter in a microwave safe bowl. In a large mixing bowl mix together the melted butter and sugar. When smooth, add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix well. Beat in the dark chocolate cocoa powder.

Step 3: When smooth, beat in flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the chopped walnuts and mix one more time. Spread batter into the greased pan.

Step 4: Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes (22 minutes worked for me).

Kkanpungi, Korean sweet and spicy chicken, is another one of my favorite Korean-Chinese dishes. I always have a hard time choosing between this dish and Korean Sweet And Sour Pork. Now that I can make kkanpungi at home, I don’t have to worry about choosing or MSG!

Kkanpungi is traditionally made with chicken wings, but a lot of restaurants will use the leg or thigh meat to make it easier to eat. Kkanpungi is slightly sweet and sour with a spicy taste and it is usually served with fried rice or black bean noodles (Jajangmyeon).

Ingredients:

Fried Chicken
1 lb Chicken Leg Meat with skin (about 450g)
a little bit salt to season meat
1 egg white
5 tablespoon potato starch
oil to fry

Sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon chili oil (for last step)

Veggies
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 green onion chopped
1/4 cup bell pepper chopped (50g)
1/4 cup peas and carrot (50g)
7 to 10 dried red chili pepper

Makes about 3 to 4 Servings

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Prepare the vegetables for the sauce (mince the garlic, chop the green onion and bell pepper, and take the seeds out of the chili pepper).

Step 2: In a small bowl, mix together water, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, ground black pepper, and sesame oil. Put aside.

Step 3: Cut the chicken leg meat to bite-sized pieces and lightly season with salt. In a mixing bowl, beat one egg white. Then add the seasoned chicken and potato starch and mix together.

Step 4: Deep Fry the chicken in batches at 375 degrees F for about 2 minutes. After all of the batches are done, add all of the chicken and fry once more for another 2 minutes. Drain the oil from the fried chicken on a paper towel.

Step 5: From here on, it will only take about a minute to complete this dish. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large wok over high heat. Add the dried chili peppers. After about 10 seconds, add the garlic, green onion, peas and carrot, and bell pepper and sauté for about 10 to 20 seconds.

Step 6: Now add the fried chicken and sauté with the veggies. Pour the sauce and sauté again. For the final step, add 1 tablespoon of chili oil and sauté once more.

Step 7: Serve with fried rice or black bean noodles (Jajangmyeon).

When I go to Korean-Chinese Restaurants, I always order Tangsuyuk, Korean sweet and sour pork or beef, to go along with my fried rice or black bean noodles (Jajangmyeon). It’s a must eat type of dish if you’re having Korean-Chinese food. If you’re unfamiliar with Korean-Chinese food, you can read about it from Wikipedia.

I wanted to make tangsuyuk at home because I usually get massive headaches from MSG overload after eating out. I’ve tried numerous ways to create the perfect crispy fried pork, but the pork usually ended up becoming soggy by the time I made the sauce. But I watched this Korean Cooking Show and found out adding oil to the batter helps keep the meat crispy! I thought adding oil to the batter would make the pork extra greasy, but it was the opposite. The pork was crispy, without a heavy oily taste, and it stayed pretty much crispy even with the sauce! Now I don’t have to go through with the headaches! If you choose to leave out the oil for the batter, serve the sauce on the side.

You can use pork or beef to make tangsuyuk. Serve with fried rice or black bean noodles.

Ingredients:

Fried Pork
12 oz boneless pork chops (about 300g)
salt and pepper to season meat
1 egg white
5 tablespoon potato starch
1/3 cup oil for batter
extra oil to fry

Tangsuyuk Sauce
1 cup water
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
5 1/2 tablespoon sugar
3 1/2 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 cup pineapple chunks (50g)
1/4 cup sliced onion (50g)
1/4 cup wood ear mushroom
1/2 medium carrot, sliced
1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/4 cup water

Makes about 3 Servings

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Tenderize the pork with a mallet lightly. Then cut into long strips and lightly season with salt and pepper.

Step 2: In a mixing bowl, beat one egg white. Then add the seasoned pork and potato starch and mix together. Now add 1/3 cup of oil to the mixture and mix well.

Step 3: Deep Fry in batches at 375 degrees F until they’re lightly golden brown (the pork will float to the top). After all of the batches are done, add all of the pork and fry once more for a minute. Drain the oil from the fried pork on a paper towel and move to a clean plate.

Step 4: Chop the onion and pineapple and slice the carrot and mushroom for the sauce. I used a Japanese Vegetable Cutter for the carrot.

Step 5: Sauté the onion, carrot, mushroom, and pineapple in 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over high heat. Add water, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar and bring to a boil. When mixture boils, add the cornstarch-water mixture and let the sauce thicken.

Step 6: When the sauce thickens, you can pour the sauce over the fried pork or serve the sauce and meat separately. Serve with fried rice or black bean noodles (Jajangmyeon).

I ordered delivery pizza with my husband one night and received the wrong order! We didn’t feel like waiting for another pizza, so we gave the pizza a try and ended up liking it! The pizza we received was a hawaiian pizza with jalapeño peppers. I love making pizza at home, so I decided to try making this pizza and it turned out yummy! I prefer thick crust pizza, but my husband loves thin crust pizza, so I’ve been using a Pizza Crisper for all my pizzas for nice crisp crust.

Ingredients:

Thin Crust
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1/2 tablespoon yeast
1 cup bread flour (more might be needed)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Sauce (makes enough for 3 pizzas)
1 (14.5-ounce) can petite-cut diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 to 1/3 teaspoon salt

Toppings
1 cup Cheese – Italian Blend
1/2 cup of ham and bacon
1/2 cup pineapple
sliced jalapeño peppers to top

Makes 1 Thin Crust Pizza (12 to 14 inch)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a large bowl. Mix well and then cover and refrigerate until needed.

Step 2: Mix 1/2 tablespoon yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in 1/2 cup warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then stir to dissolve. In a large bowl, mix the yeast water, flour, olive oil, salt, and garlic powder and form a smooth dough. You might have to add a little more flour if too sticky. Shape the dough into a ball. Cover and let it rise for at least an hour in a warm place.

Step 3: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. On a well floured surface, roll the dough out into a large circle. Place the dough on the Pizza Crisper and pre-bake the crust for 5 minutes. Pre-cook the bacon before placing on pizza, and make sure to squeeze/drain the liquid from the pineapple and pepper.

Step 4: Spread 1 cup of sauce on the pre-baked crust and add cheese. Then top with ham, bacon, pineapple, and sliced jalapeño peppers.

Step 5: Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F.

When I first started mamaloli.com, I used a Sony Cybershot to take all my pictures. Then I got into food photography a bit and wanted a DSLR Camera. I couldn’t afford nikon or canon at the time, so I ended up getting a Sony A330. It has some limitations, but overall I’m satisfied with the results it gives me. If you want to find out more about DSLR cameras, go to wikipedia.

A lot of food photographers use the 50mm lens to take pictures. That is on my to buy list. For now, I’ve been using the 18-55mm lens that came with the camera along with the Tamron 55-200mm zoom lens. For lighting, I just use natural day light. There’s a huge window in my kitchen that gives plenty of light during the day, so that’s when I usually take the pictures. A lot of food photographers will invest in a Mini lighting studio, but you can also make your own mini lighting studio (DIY).

After I take the pictures, I do a bit of color correcting on my computer. There’s a program called preview that comes with every Apple computer and I use that to tweak the color a bit. Recently, I started experimenting with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for advanced tweaking. I adjust the brightness, contrast, and saturation to give a clear and bright picture. I experimented with the temperature and noticed that giving a slight yellow tint makes the food more appetizing. Even without a good camera, you can produce decent pictures. If you can’t afford a nice camera, try learning a photo editing software first. I’ve seen great results!

This photo was taken with my sony cybershot.

This photo was taken with my Sony DSLR Camera.

Here are some good DSLR cameras for beginners:
Nikon D3000, Canon T1i, and Sony A330

California Rolls make great appetizers for parties. They also make a good side dish to serve with Chicken Teriyaki on a bento tray.

A lot of restaurants use imitation crab meat and charge a lot of money for California Rolls, so try making this at home with real crab meat. For this California Roll Recipe, I used the Blue Star brand blue crab meat (claw) and it turned out yummy! You can also leave out the cucumber and avocado to make Blue Crab Rolls!

Ingredients:

1 batch sushi rice (read this recipe)
6 oz Blue Crab Meat (170g)
2 tablespoon Mayonnaise
1 baby cucumber (Julienne strips)
1 avocado
2 sheets toasted nori
wasabi (optional)

1 Bamboo Sushi Mat needed

Makes 2 Rolls

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Make sushi rice. Set aside and let it cool down completely.

Step 2: Mix crab meat and mayonnaise together. Cut the baby cucumber into strips and slice avocado.

Step 3: Cover a bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap. Cut about 2 inches of nori. Use the larger nori.

Step 4: Place sushi rice on the rough side of the nori and flip over so the rice faces down on the mat. Dab a little bit of wasabi, then fill with cucumber strips, avocado, and blue crab meat.

Step 5: Roll the bamboo sushi mat forward while keeping the ingredients in place with your fingers. Form into a cylinder shape. Press the bamboo sushi mat firmly and then remove the rolled sushi.

Step 6: Cut into 6 pieces and serve with soy sauce and wasabi.

I had chicken curry udon for lunch while I was in Japan, and I loved it so much I make it all the time now! This chicken curry udon recipe is quick and easy to make. Just have the frozen udon thawed and ready to go. If you don’t like chicken, you can leave it out or use other meat. If you always have curry with rice, here’s a good way to change it up. Don’t be afraid to slurp!

Ingredients:

1 package frozen udon (thawed)
6 oz chicken breast sliced
2 shiitake mushroom sliced
2 oz sliced onion (about 1/2 cup)
1/3 large carrot sliced thinly
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 cubes curry roux
1 1/2 cup water
salt and pepper (to season)

Makes about 2 Servings

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Thaw frozen udon in cold water until the noodles separate. Drain water and put aside.

Step 2: Thinly slice the chicken breast, mushroom, carrot, and onion.

Step 3: Heat a wok on high heat. When hot, add butter. Quickly add the meat and vegetables and sauté. Add a little bit of salt and pepper, then add 1 teaspoon curry powder and sauté again for about a minute.

Step 4: Add 1 1/2 cup water and 2 cubes of curry roux and stir. When the cubes have dissolved and curry thickens, add the udon and stir. Continue cooking for about 2 minutes.

Step 5: Serve with benishoga if desired.

Thai Iced Tea is one of my favorite asian drinks! When you add boba (tapioca pearls), it’s even better! The strong, sweet tea topped with milk goes well with spicy food and is perfect to serve during hot days. If you’re having guests over this summer, try serving them Thai Iced Tea!

Ingredients:

4 cups water
1 cup Thai Tea
3 1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup Boba (optional)
evaporated milk (to top)
sweetened condensed milk (to top)

Bubble Tea Straws
Thai tea filter

Makes 2 to 3 large servings

Directions:

Step 1: Bring water to a boil in a kettle or pot. Add Tea and turn off heat. Let it steep for 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 2: Use a Thai tea filter or fine-mesh strainer and pour the brew into a large pitcher.

Step 3: Add sugar to the hot tea and mix well. Let the tea cool down then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Step 4: Cook the boba (tapioca pearls) according to package directions.

Step 5: Put some of the cooked boba into a glass. Now fill it up with ice and pour the cooled tea leaving room for milk. Top with a tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk and 2 to 3 tablespoon of evaporated milk if desired.

Step 6: Serve with fat Bubble Tea Straws and let your guests stir their drinks.

Kare pan (curry bread), is a very famous Japanese snack which has been featured in many animes and dramas. It’s one of my favorite ways to eat curry. If you’re new to curry, kare pan is a great way to start! I had some left over curry from the night before, so I decided to make kare pan. You can eat it for lunch, dinner, or as a mid-day snack. I ended up eating too many and had to skip dinner…

For the filling, I used left over curry. Here’s my easy curry recipe if you need one. Make sure the curry is chilled or it will be hard to fill the dough. This kare pan recipe requires yeast so you’ll need to give it plenty of time for the dough to rise.

Ingredients:

2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup water
3 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoon melted butter
1 1/2 cup left over curry (chilled)
1 egg (beaten)
panko bread crumbs (about 1 cup)

Makes about 8 to 10 pieces (depends on size)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Mix 1 teaspoon yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in 1/2 cup warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then stir to dissolve.

Step 2: In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast water, extra 1/4 cup water, salt, 2 teaspoon sugar, and melted butter together to form a dough. Knead for 5 to 10 minutes until smooth (you might have to add a little more flour). When smooth, place dough in large greased bowl. Cover and let it rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 3: Punch down dough and divide into 8 pieces. Cover and let it rise again for 30 to 45 minutes.

Step 4: Beat one egg. Put aside. Mash the chilled curry until the chunks of meat and veggies are small.

Step 5: On a well floured surface, roll out the dough and put a large spoonful of curry in the center. Fold the dough over like a gyoza and pinch to seal (if you need to, you can put a little egg wash around the edge of the dough to seal it). Repeat this step for the other pieces.

Step 6: Dip each piece in the egg wash, then lightly coat with panko bread crumbs.

Step 7: Deep fry each piece at about 375 degrees F until golden brown on both sides (about 1 minute for each side).

Step 8: Place the kare pan on Tempura Paper or paper towels to drain the oil. Serve them hot or at room temperature and watch them disappear!

Summer has finally arrived in California and that means it’s time to make smoothies!! I like to make blueberry smoothies because blueberries are high in antioxidants and have many health benefits. It also keeps me cool and energized. This recipe requires no milk, yogurt, or ice cream, so don’t worry about the calories!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup apple juice
1 large ripe banana

Makes 2 Smoothies

Directions:

Step 1: Blend the frozen blueberries, apple juice, and banana in a blender or smoothie maker until smooth.

Step 2: Pour smoothie in chilled glasses and top with fresh blueberries if desired.

Cold Soba (buckwheat noodles), is a great Japanese dish to have during the hot summer days. Cold Soba is usually served with a chilled dipping sauce (soup) with a side of wasabi. Common condiments include chopped green onion and nori. Some people also like to add grated daikon. Soba is usually served on a plate with a bamboo mat, but you can use any plate. Soba is quick and easy to make, but the sauce should be made ahead of time since it has to be served chilled. Oh, and it’s absolutely ok to slurp! Take a few strands of noodle with your chopsticks, then dip and slurp away.

Ingredients:

360g Soba Noodles (about 10 oz)
1 to 2 chopped green onion (optional)
wasabi (optional)
thinly chopped nori (optional)

Dipping Sauce
1 3/4 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sake
1/2 cup bonito flakes (about small handful)

Makes about 4 Servings

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Place all the ingredients for the dipping sauce into a pan and bring to a boil. Boil about 30 seconds and turn off heat. Once it has cooled down a bit, use a strainer and pour the liquid into a container. Cover and chill.

Step 2: Cook soba according to package directions. Mine usually says 4 to 5 minutes.

Step 3: When the noodles are cooked, transfer to a colander and drain. Pour cold water over the noodles to cool, then rinse the noodles under cold running water. Squeeze and turn the noodles to get rid of any stickiness. Drain and arrange them on a plate or Soba Bamboo Plate.

Step 4: Pour the chilled dipping sauce into a small bowl and serve with the noodles. Dab a little bit of wasabi on the side with the sauce. I like to have my soba with chopped green onion and a little bit of nori.

Chicken Teriyaki is a lunchtime favorite for many Japanese people. It’s another great food to pack in bentos since it’s good even when cold. Normally, chicken teriyaki is grilled or broiled, but this is more of a homestyle cooking recipe. The traditional Japanese teriyaki sauce is kept simple by using just soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar. I used chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can also use thigh or leg meat. Serve with a bowl of hot steamed rice and you’re all set!

Ingredients:

12 oz chicken breast
3 tablespoon sake
2 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon mirin
1 green onion thinly sliced (optional)
cornstarch to dust
oil for frying

Makes 2 to 3 servings

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Mix the soy sauce, sake, sugar, and mirin in a small bowl. Mix well until the sugar dissolves.

Step 2: Slice the chicken thinly (about a 1/4 inch). Lightly coat the chicken with cornstarch on both sides.

Step 3: Heat the frying pan and add 1 to 2 tablespoon oil. Pan-fry both sides of the chicken over high heat. You might have to fry in 2 to 3 batches. Put chicken aside and clean pan with paper towel.

Step 4: Heat the pan again and then add all of the chicken. Pour sauce over the chicken. Reduce to medium heat after about 30 seconds and turn the chicken over a couple times until browned all over.

Step 5: Serve chicken teriyaki with thinly sliced green onion sprinkled on top and with a bowl of hot steamed rice.

My husband buys fresh fish from the Japanese Market to make nigiri sushi at home. It beats going to the expensive, busy restaurants and he has a lot of fun making them. If you decide to make nigiri sushi at home, don’t forget to make the sushi rice and always use sashimi grade fish. My husband’s specials for the night were ika, hamachi, hon maguro, sake, and amaebi. He thought they looked ugly, but I thought they were adorable and delicious!!

Spicy Korean Chicken Stew (닭볶음탕) is a hearty meal, usually served with a bowl of hot steamed rice. The hot and spicy flavors really relaxes your body after a hard days work!

This Spicy Korean Chicken Stew recipe takes about 35 to 40 minutes to cook, but it’s fairly easy to make. Traditionally, whole chicken (cut up) is used, but I use thigh fillets to save time. Use fresh chicken. I like to use sake or cooking wine to get rid of any chicken smell, but that’s optional. Gochujang (고추장), korean red pepper paste, can be found in Korean Markets. While you’re at the market, don’t forget to get the gochugaru (고추가루), finely ground red pepper powder!

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken thigh fillet
12 oz potatoes (2 med potatoes)
2 green onion chopped
2 tablespoon Gochujang (korean red pepper paste)
1 tablespoon red pepper powder
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon sake or cooking wine (optional)
ground pepper (to season)
1 tablespoon oil (to cook chicken)

Makes 2 to 3 servings

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Heat a wok or large pot. Add oil. Brown the outside of the chicken over high heat. Add sake or cooking wine and let the alcohol evaporate.

Step 2: Add garlic, ginger, potatoes, and green onion and sauté. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.

Step 3: When the water boils, add gochujang, red pepper powder, and soysauce. Stir a few times, then reduce to medium heat and boil down 1/2 the liquid for 35 to 40 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Step 4: Serve with hot steamed rice.

I have an instant cream puff recipe on this site, but I wanted to make a cream puff recipe using fresh vanilla bean pastry cream (Vanilla Crème Patisserie). You can also use vanilla bean pastry cream for tarts, pies, and eclairs! I was able to purchase plump Vanilla Beans for cheap! If you don’t have vanilla beans, you can use vanilla extract.

Ingredients:

Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream
1 1/8 cup milk
1 Vanilla Bean
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg and 1 yolk
2 teaspoon cake flour
2 teaspoon cornstarch

Choux Pastry
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
powdered sugar to dust

Makes 6 Cream Puffs

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Beat 1 egg and 1 yolk together. Add sugar and whisk until the egg mixture turns almost white. Add in cake flour and cornstarch and mix well.

Step 2: Start heating up a pot with the milk. Split the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and pod into the milk and scald (until small bubbles appear around the edges). Turn off heat, discard the vanilla pod, and pour into the egg mixture.

Step 3: Stir the egg mixture over medium-low heat until it comes to a boil. Continue to cook and stir for another minute, until the cream is thick. Turn off the heat. Cover with wrap and refrigerate.

Step 4: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bring water and butter to a rolling boil in a large pot. Stir in flour and salt until mixture forms a ball. Move the dough to a large mixing bowl.

Step 5: Beat in the eggs one at a time and mix well after each. Add Vanilla Extract. Beat until the mixture becomes a smooth glossy paste.

Step 6: Drop by a big spoonful onto ungreased parchment paper. Leave at least 1 inch of space between each one. Don’t make the paste too flat, or your puffs will turn out flat too. Try shaping them into a round shape. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes then raise the temp to 425 degrees F and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 7: Pierce the side of each puff with a toothpick to let steam out, then cool on cooling rack for about 30 minutes.

Step 8: Use a pastry bag to pipe the vanilla bean pastry cream into the shells. Dust with powdered sugar.

*Chocolate lovers can even dip the shell (choux pastry) into melted chocolate!

One thing I miss about New England is the amazing food!! I was feeling a bit nostalgic and decided to make lobster rolls for lunch! I was lucky because my supermarket was having a big sale on lobster tails. I’m a big fan of mayo, so I added a lot, but you can cut it back to 1/3 or 1/4 cup if it’s too much. I used soft french bread for the rolls, but you can use hot dog buns too. Serve with potato chips or french fries.

Ingredients:

10 to 12 oz lobster meat (3 lobster tails)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 green onion chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
soft french bread or hot dog buns
2 to 3 tablespoon melted butter

Makes 3 Rolls

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Cook the lobster tails. When they’re ready, remove the shells and cube the meat.

Step 2: Stir together mayonnaise, chopped green onion, parsley flakes, lemon juice, and ground pepper in a bowl. Now add the cubed lobster meat to the mixture.

Step 3: If using soft french bread, cut the ends off. Then cut into 2 inch wide rolls. To create a pocket, cut about 3/4 of the way through each roll. Brush both sides of the rolls with melted butter. Grill each side until golden brown.

Step 4: Fill the rolls with the lobster mayonnaise mixture. Serve with a side of potato chips of french fries.

I finally got a Taiyaki Pan to make my fish-shaped cakes!!

There are lots of different fillings for taiyaki like chocolate or custard, but the most common filling is red bean paste. I used mashed red beans instead of the paste. I also experimented with cake flour and all purpose flour and I really liked the texture the cake flour gave. It was light, crispy, and fluffy! You can use milk or water for this recipe, but milk seemed to make it burn easily. Be careful not to overfill the pan and keep the heat medium-low. Children will love the shape and adults will love the taste!!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup cake flour (110g)
2 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2  tablespoon of sugar
3/4 cup milk or water (180ml)
1 egg
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup anko (red bean paste)
oil to cook

1 Taiyaki Pan needed

Makes 6 Taiyaki

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Mix the cake flour, baking powder, and sugar together. Beat an egg. Add water or milk to the beaten egg. Then add the flour mixture and mix well. Move batter to an easy pour container.

Step 2: Preheat taiyaki pan. Keep heat at medium. Brush oil on the both sides of the pan (inside part of pan). Pour a small amount of batter to the preheated pan (on one side). Add a large spoonful of red bean paste. Then pour a little more batter just enough to cover the paste. Close the pan and turn over.

Step 3: Reduce to medium low heat. Cook for about 30 seconds and turn the pan over again. Repeat turning the pan and cooking. Cook until they’re golden brown on each side. It took a total of 3 to 4 minutes for me.

Step 4: Trim the edges off. You can cool them on a cooling rack or serve them right away.

When it comes to spicy food, I think Mapo Tofu is always at the top of my list. Mapo tofu is a Sichuan (Szechuan) comfort food which is made from a spicy chili-bean sauce called toban djan. You can find toban djan at Asian markets. I like to add ground pork and tokyo negi to my mapo tofu recipe. Compared to the green onion, Tokyo negi has a stalky white part.

The key to this recipe is cooking at very high heat. Serve with fried rice or steamed rice. It goes well with both!

Ingredients:

12 oz soft tofu (not silken)
6 to 8 oz ground pork
1/4 cup minced tokyo negi (optional)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 1/2 tablespoon toban djan
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon chili oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup water with 1 teaspoon corn starch
2 tablespoon oil to cook

Makes about 3 Servings

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Cut tofu into 3/4 inch cubes. Mince tokyo negi.

Step 2: Heat wok over high heat. Add oil when wok is hot. Stir in the minced garlic. Add ground pork and mix with garlic.

Step 3: When the pork has cooked through, add tokyo negi and stir.

Step 4: Add the toban djan, chili oil, and soy sauce and stir again.

Step 5: Add tofu and stir gently. After a minute, add a 1/2 cup of water and let it come to a boil.

Step 6: Now, add the cornstarch water mixture around the outer edge of the wok. Wait about 30 seconds then stir. Let it simmer for about a minute.

Step 7: Serve with steamed rice or fried rice.

I was in a burger mood today, but didn’t want the usual, so I ended up making salmon burgers. What a way to get in my daily omega-3s! I used a method similar to making Japanese hamburger steak for this recipe. I also made the buns from scratch, but I’ll post that recipe once it’s perfected. If you’re making tartar sauce, make sure you chill it for at least an hour (overnight preferred) before serving it.

The next time you have a burger craving, try a salmon burger!

Ingredients:

8 oz skinless salmon minced
1/4 cup minced onion
1 small shiitake mushroom minced
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg white
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon old bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
dried parsley flakes to sprinkle
flour to dust

2 hamburger buns split
red leaf lettuce
tartar sauce

Tartar Sauce Recipe
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 tablespoon sweet relish

Makes 2 Burgers

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Make tartar sauce. Combine the mayonnaise, onion, and sweet relish in a bowl and mix well. Chill for at least an hour.

Step 2: Mince the onion and shiitake mushroom. You can mince the salmon by hand or put into a food processor. If using food processor, pulse briefly. There should be some chunks still visible.

Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, mix the salmon, onion, mushroom, panko bread crumbs, egg white, lemon juice, salt, pepper, seasoning, chili powder, and parsley flakes together.

Step 4: Form the mixture into 2 patties. They should be slightly larger than the buns (they’ll shrink a bit once they’re cooked). Lightly coat both sides of patties with flour.

Step 5: Heat a pan. When hot, add oil and cook the patties over medium heat until lightly browned on both sides.

Step 6: Assemble the burgers on buns with lettuce and tartar sauce. Feel free to add tomatoes or other veggies.