MAMALOLI

Oden Hot Pot Recipe

mamaloli — Sat, 31 Oct 2015 15:38:05 +0000

Oden Hot Pot Recipe

The rainy season is back in Seattle. It’s dark…wet… and I wasn’t in the mood to cook up a fancy meal. While at the Japanese supermarket, an oden set was literally calling out to me. So, I bought the oden set and made a quick and easy oden hot pot.

It’s still gloomy outside, but at least my tummy is warm and happy.

Cooking time: about 15 minutes

This recipe makes about 3 Servings

Ingredients

4 and 1/3 cup water (1L)
1 teaspoon granulated dashi
1 teaspoon granulated anchovy dashi
2 tablespoon sake
2 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 green onion (chopped into 1 inch pieces)
1/4 small onion (sliced)
1 inch piece Korean radish (chopped into 1/4 inch pieces)
1 serrano chili pepper (optional)
20 piece oden set (21oz/595g)

Things You’ll Need

Donabe Japanese Hot Pot

Cooking Instructions

Fill a Japanese Pot with 4 and 1/3 cup water (1L) and bring to a boil. Slice and chop the green onion, radish, onion, and serrano chili pepper. When water comes to a boil, add both of the granulated dashi and vegetables. Simmer for a minute.
Now add the oden, sake, mirin, and soy sauce. Simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes (if oden is thin 5 minutes and if oden is thick 10 minutes).

Taling Pling at Sukhumvit

mamaloli — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 14:57:23 +0000

If you’re in Bangkok and in need of authentic Thai food, go to Taling Pling. This restaurant has amazing food with a hip, but home-like atmosphere.

Everything that was ordered was delicious. YES, EVERYTHING. Here are the foods I ate and there were NO leftovers.

Grilled Pork and Sticky Rice

Tom Kha Gai

Squid Noodle Salad

pandan chicken

prawn cakes

pad thai

fried rice

green beef curry

Fried Snapper with Chili lime sauce

Crab with chili basil garlic

mango dessert

Warm coconut milk dessert

I could eat here every day. Hopefully, I’ll get to go again soon. It will be the first place I visit next time I’m in Bangkok.

Taling Pling
25 Sukhumvit Rd, Khlong Tan, Khlong Toei, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110, Thailand

So Much to Eat!

mamaloli — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 16:15:11 +0000

My last day in Bangkok was very hectic. I had a huge list of things to eat with so little time left. Although I was in a rush, here are some of the foods I managed to squeeze into my tummy.

Banana “Better” Fries – Mama Monkey

Grilled Pork Skewer – Terminal 21 Basement Food Court

Soft Shell Crab with chili garlic basil – Sansab Terminal 21

I went to Somboon Seafood (this was a different day)… However, most of the food I ordered was already eaten by the time I realized that I forgot to take pictures… I highly recommend the poo phat pong kari (crab curry), but I do not have the photos to show you (so sad).

Raw Sweet Shrimp – Somboon

Oyster with chili sauce – Somboon

Fried Garlic Prawns – Somboon

I also managed to get some random dessert!

Coffee Crunch Roll Cake – Desserie Sweet Cafe Terminal 21

Double Chocolate Layer Cake – Desserie sweet cafe Terminal 21

I thought I was prepared to tackle my list of must eat foods in Bangkok. However, there are way too many great foods to eat (even the street food). Before I could get to the things on my list, I was already full from random food stops. Tip to self for next trip: get a bigger stomach!

Cabbages and Condoms – Bangkok

mamaloli — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 16:39:20 +0000

Condoms and food… what a strange concept for a restaurant!

Dining Al Fresco

My husband’s aunt wanted to take us somewhere unique and not so ordinary. So, here’s Cabbages and Condoms. The mannequins were wearing outfits made of condoms!

Condom Outfits

Now, for the food! The food was decent, but not mind blowing like Somboon or Taling Pling. Overall, I think it’s a fun place to enjoy with friends or family while visiting Bangkok. If you’re looking for a not-so-formal way of explaining safe sex, this is the place to do it!

Fresh coconut

Thung Thong – Deep fried chicken and black mushroom

Soft Shell Crab Curry

I really liked the lights that were made from condoms!

Condom Lights

Cabbages and Condoms
Sukhumvit 12 Alley, Khlong Toei, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110, Thailand

Audrey Cafe and Bistro – Bangkok Thailand

mamaloli — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 15:32:46 +0000

No more studying, please!

I really needed to get away to clear my mind, and what better way to get away from it all than going to Thailand to EAT. Last time I went to Thailand, my stay was minimal and I didn’t get a chance to enjoy all of the yummy foods Bangkok has to offer. This time, I ate way too much food and have so much to talk about (but I don’t know where to start).

I’ll start with Audrey Cafe and Bistro, because some of the European-Thai fusion dishes really inspired me! The vintage French decor was also absolutely charming.

tom yum kung pizza

I have to say my favorite dish from Audrey’s was the tom yum kung pizza. I love tom yum kung by itself, but never knew the flavors could make an awesome pizza. I loved how the lemongrass really enhanced the spicy tomato sauce! This dish is definitely on my list of foods to make at home.

pâté

The Pâté was also delicious (I’m glad I ate this before the tom yum kung Pizza).

Chicken Biryani

Spicy Dry Chili Spaghetti with River Prawn

Some of the other things I ate… I just can’t get over the tom yum kung pizza… I’m usually not a fan of fusion, but the tom yum kung pizza is fusion done right!

If you’re in Bangkok and not in a hurry, Audrey’s is a cute place to visit. If you prefer authentic Thai, I’ll get to that post in a few days. Since Audrey’s is usually packed in the evenings, it’s wise to make a reservation before going.

Audrey Cafe & Bistro
3, Phra Khanong, Khlong Toei, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110, Thailand

Best Soondaeguk in Seattle

mamaloli — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 14:45:22 +0000

The best soondaeguk 순대국 (Korean blood sausage soup) in Seattle is hidden away in Lynnwood’s Hmart food court. Even though the Federal Way Hmart is closer, my husband purposely drives farther to go to Jinmi inside the Lynnwood Hmart.

Loaded Soondaeguk

Jinmi’s special size soondaeguk comes loaded with soondae, a bowl of rice, kimchi, and kkakdugi (radish kimchi). I swear Jinmi also has the best kkakdugi ever!

Jinmi 진미

If you’re craving a good bowl of Korean soondae soup in the Seattle area, give Jinmi a try.

Quick Trip to Richmond BC

mamaloli — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 20:03:57 +0000

Sightseeing was not a requirement when my husband and I planned our trip to Richmond, BC, Canada. When the border service officer asked why we were crossing the border, we simply replied, “to eat!”

We had approximately 24 hours to spend in Richmond and our goal was to fill our bellies with as much food as possible. This is all because we’re never satisfied with Asian food in the Seattle area (everything is way too salty). Canadians must have stricter laws when it comes to sodium consumption, because all of their food tends to be on the less salty side.

Here’s a sample of what we ate.

We arrived around lunch time and decided to start with Southeast Asian cuisine. We went to Tropika at Lansdowne Centre.

Roti Canai – Malay bread with spicy curry sauce

Sambal Sotong Kang-Kong

Otak Fish – curry sauce

They even debone the fish for you at the table!

Nasi Goreng

After lunch we got on the SkyTrain and hopped off at Aberdeen Centre, an Asian style mall. After checking out all of the cute shops, I decided to get bubble waffles and bubble tea! You can find bubble waffles and bubble tea everywhere in Richmond. For the first time, I tried the regular vanilla bubble waffle. The second time, I got the half oreo and half peanut flavored bubble waffle. I’m in love with these and could eat them everyday!

Oreo/Peanut Butter Bubble Waffle

For dinner, my husband and I decided to visit the Yaohan Centre food court. Too many choices!!

Yaohan Centre Food Court

After calling it a day, we went to our hotel to plan what we would eat the next day. Since we had dim sum in Vancouver last time, we decided to go with Taiwanese style cuisine for lunch.

We went to Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle in Aberdeen Centre, and it was the best decision ever made! Their championship braised beef with noodles in spicy soup made me want to quit everything and move to Richmond immediately!

Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle

Championship braised beef with noodles in spicy soup

My husband got the clear soup and was also satisfied.

Beef Brisket with noodles in Clear Soup

Some extras we ordered, also very good!!

Beef Roll

Taiwanese Chicken Nuggets

We’ll definitely be going back to Richmond very soon to try dim sum, bbq pork, and more!

Spicy Mixed Sashimi Bowl

mamaloli — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 16:18:46 +0000

Spicy Mixed Sashimi Bowl

Spicy mixed sashimi bowl, hoedeopbap (hwedupbap 회덮밥), is a great Korean dish to get your appetite going in the hot summer. It’s a combination of sashimi, rice, and vegetables mixed with a spicy vinegar red pepper paste. This vinegar red pepper paste is known as chogochujang, which can be found easily in Korean markets.

I love to make spicy mixed sashimi bowl, because this dish can be ready in 10 minutes or less as long as you have the rice ready to go. During the weekends, I like to quickly throw the ingredients together and sit in front of the TV to watch my favorite Korean drama. For this spicy mixed sashimi bowl recipe, it’s good to have extra large bowls to mix everything in. And make sure your fish is sashimi grade!

This recipe makes 2 Servings

Ingredients

2 bowls of cooked rice (slightly cooled)
1/2 lb Fresh Sashimi Grade Fish of your choice (227g)
4 tablespoon Chuka Ika Sansai (seasoned squid salad)
2 tablespoon tobiko (flying fish roe)
1/2 head red leaf lettuce or 1/2 bag baby lettuce
radish sprouts
1/2 chili pepper (thinly sliced)
2 tablespoon sesame oil
2 to 4 tablespoons chogochujang – vinegar red pepper paste
sesame seeds, to top

Things You’ll Need

Cooking Instructions

For this recipe, you’ll need chogochujang (vinegar red pepper paste). Let rice cool down in a large bowl.
Prepare the vegetables (slice the red leaf lettuce and thinly slice the chili pepper).
Cut the blocks of fish into cubes.
When the rice has cooled down, top each bowl of rice with lettuce, radish sprouts, 2 tablespoon seasoned squid salad, sashimi fish cubes, 1 tablespoon flying fish roe, sesame seeds, and a few slices of chili pepper. Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil and 1 to 2 tablespoon chogochujang and mix well. Enjoy!

Avocado Wontons

mamaloli — Sat, 31 May 2014 20:05:13 +0000

Avocado Wontons

If you like avocado egg rolls from the Cheesecake Factory, you’ll love these smaller version avocado wontons. If you never had avocado egg rolls before, you must try this combination of avocados and sun-dried tomatoes which is wrapped in wonton wrappers and then deep fried.

Since I usually cook at home instead of eating out, I wanted to make crispier, smaller bite sized avocado wontons for me and my husband to enjoy as an appetizer. These were a hit with my husband and I finally got him to eat avocados! I like to make a bunch of these and freeze the unused portion to conveniently fry later. These avocado wontons go really well with my spicy, tangy Thai chili lime dipping sauce.

This recipe makes 30 pieces

Ingredients

3 medium avocados, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
3 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes in oil, diced
1/2 tablespoon fresh cilatro, minced
30 wonton wrappers
Thai Chili Lime Dipping Sauce Recipe

Cooking Instructions

Mix the avocados, onion, sundried tomatoes, and fresh cilantro in a bowl. It’s ok to mash the avocados, but you’ll want to leave some chunks. Lay out the wonton wrappers and put about a tablespoon of avocado filling on the center of each wrapper.
Brush the corner of the wrapper with some water. Fold over the edges of the wrapper to form a triangle and seal tightly (you can freeze them at this point).
Deep Fry in batches (375 degrees F) for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown (they’ll float to the top once they’re ready).

Hodugwaja

mamaloli — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 12:55:11 +0000

Hodugwaja

During my trip to South Korea, I had the chance to taste fresh and hot hodugwaja from the rest stop. These crispy, warm Korean walnut cakes filled with red bean paste and walnuts are often sold as street food. In the United States, hodugwaja can be found in Korean supermarkets. However, the supermarket kind lacks the warmth and freshness of the original. To make this hodugwaja recipe from home, you’ll need a hodugwaja pan (Walnut Shaped Waffle Maker) .

Hodugwaja makes the perfect snack for long road trips and they’re also great to give as a gift.

This recipe makes about 27 pieces

Ingredients

150 grams all-purpose flour
120 ml milk
80 ml water
35 grams melted butter
40 grams sugar
1 beaten egg (large egg)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
200 grams sweet red bean paste
35 grams chopped walnuts

Things You’ll Need

Hodugwaja pan (Walnut Shaped Waffle Maker)

Cooking Instructions

Mix the flour, baking powder, and sugar together. Beat an egg in a large mixing bowl. Add water and milk to the beaten egg. Then add the melted butter and flour mixture and mix well. Move batter to an easy pour container. Combine about 1/2 teaspoon red bean paste with some chopped walnuts and form a ball.
Preheat hodugwaja pan (both sides). Keep heat at medium. Brush oil on the both sides of the pan (inside part of pan). When pan is hot, pour a small amount of batter to the preheated pan (about halfway in each mold). Quickly add the red bean paste balls. Then pour some more batter over the top. Close and quickly flip the pan.
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. Trim the edges off and cool on a cooling rack or serve them right away.

Singapore Chicken Curry

mamaloli — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 15:43:54 +0000

Singapore Chicken Curry

My husband always talked about how great the food was in Singapore. Well, after visiting Singapore last year, I can’t get all of the great food out of my head. I’m addicted! To ease my craving a bit, I’ve been making Singapore chicken curry (Nonya chicken curry) at home. Since I can’t find any good Singapore-style restaurants in my area, this Singapore chicken curry dish has been keeping me sane.

Singapore chicken curry goes well with Jasmine or Basmati rice and also goes great with naan or roti. If you miss Southeast Asian food or want to try something new, try this Singapore-style chicken coconut curry recipe.

This recipe makes about 2 to 3 servings

Ingredients

12 oz chicken thigh fillet
10 oz gold potatoes
1.5 oz onion or shallot
2 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoon grated young ginger
1 can coconut milk (14.5 oz)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoon Indian curry powder
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
chili oil to cook

Cooking Instructions

Use a food processor to blend the onion (shallot), garlic, and ginger. Cut potatoes into large pieces (slightly larger than bite-sized). Make curry paste by combining 2 tablespoon curry powder and 2 tablespoon of coconut milk.
Heat a wok or large pot. Add oil. Brown the potatoes and put aside. Lightly brown the chicken and put aside.
Add 1 tablespoon chili oil to heated wok or pot and cook the blended onion, garlic, ginger mixture for about 2 minutes. Add the curry paste and mix well.
Add the chicken and potato and stir well. Now add water, coconut milk, bay leaves, salt, and sugar. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes over medium-low heat (stir once in a while).
Now add the lime juice and simmer for another 10 minutes (without the cover). Serve with Jasmine or Basmati Rice and naan or roti.

Doenjang jjigae

mamaloli — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 17:00:27 +0000

Doenjang jjigae

Doenjang jjigae 된장찌개 is the ultimate Korean comfort food. Every family has a different recipe which has been passed down from their mothers or grandmothers. Being Korean, my mom always told me I need to know how to make a good pot of doenjang jjigae. However, I don’t like my mom’s doenjang jjigae recipe. It’s not bad, but I always felt like there was something missing and I could never quite get it to taste as good as the Korean BBQ restaurants. So, while on my quest to find the perfect taste, I ran into a friend who worked at one of my favorite Korean bbq restaurants. He gave me the secret to the perfect doenjang jjigae and now I can share it with you guys!

The most shocking part of the recipe was NOT adding any GARLIC. I couldn’t believe it! Korean food without garlic? But, I went ahead and made the recipe as my friend suggested. I found the most important part of doenjang jjigae is the anchovy stock. Additionally, adding some Japanese miso adds smoothness and sweetness. You can use any Korean doenjang found in Korean markets, but make sure to add a little bit of miso. Oh, and don’t forget the Ddukbaegi (Korean earthenware pot). Doenjang jjigae just tastes better when made in a ddukbaegi. My husband was pretty blown away by this recipe, so I can’t wait to make it for my in-laws when they come to visit!

This recipe makes about 2 servings

Cooking time: 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounce onion, diced
1 1/2 ounce potato, diced
1 1/2 ounce zucchini, diced
1 1/2 ounce thinly sliced beef, diced
1 ounce brown mushroom, diced
5 ounce med-firm tofu, cubed
1 Korean green chili pepper or jalapeño, sliced
1/2 teaspoon Korean chili powder (fine)
1 1/2 tablespoon Korean doenjang
1/2 tablespoon Japanese awase miso
2 cup anchovy stock (1 stick iriko dashi with 2 cups water)

Things You’ll Need

medium 6 inch Ddukbaegi (Korean earthenware pot)

Cooking Instructions

Prepare all of the vegetables, tofu, and beef.
Bring water to a simmer and add beef and anchovy dashi granules. When it comes to a boil, add the doenjang, miso, and all of the other ingredients and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes over med-high heat.

Easy Japanese Hot Pot

mamaloli — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 18:54:56 +0000

Easy Japanese Hot Pot

When I was little, I could eat ice cream in sub-zero temperatures and still be able to play in the snow. Now that I’m getting older, the slightest chill in the air makes me go after my winter parka. During the colder time of year, I need food that can warm me up quickly. The perfect food to warm the body and bring families closer together is the Japanese Hot Pot (shabu-shabu). For this Japanese hot pot recipe, you can use the ingredients I listed or add any other vegetables or meat of your choice.

My husband and I usually set up our portable gas burner at the dining table with our Japanese Hot Pot (donabe). Once everything’s set up, it’s time to begin our never ending feast. We wait patiently with our Hot Pot Strainers and race to grab the ingredients that are finished cooking. While my husband prefers ponzu for his dipping sauce, I prefer Sesame Yuzu chili pepper sauce. The citrusy-sesame flavored sauce goes well with everything. When all the veggies, mushrooms, and meat end up in our bellies, we make udon or rice porridge with the left over rich broth. By the end of our meal, nothing is left in the pot!

This recipe makes about 3 to 4 Servings

For the Soup:

1 Japanese Soup Base (starter)
Handful of Clams or King Crab Leg Shells

Vegetables of your choice:

3 to 4 Bok Choy
Handful Crown Daisy
1/4 to 1/2 Chinese Cabbage (cut into bite size pieces)
2 green onion (inch long slices)

Mushrooms of your choice:

2 oz Matsutake (pine mushroom)
2 oz Oyster Mushroom
2 oz Maitake (Hen-of-the-wood mushroom)
2 oz Enokitake (golden needle mushroom)

Meat and Seafood of your choice:

2 oz Thinly Sliced Sukiyaki Beef
2 oz Thinly Sliced Pork Belly or Pork Shoulder
2 oz Tiger Prawn
2 King Crab Legs
Clams
Oden (fish cake)

Dipping Sauce:

Ponzu Sauce
Sesame Yuzu chili pepper sauce

To Finish:

Udon
Left over rice

Things You’ll Need

Cooking Instructions

Clean and prepare the vegetables, mushroom, meat, and seafood.
Fill a Japanese Pot 2/3 of the way with water. Turn on portable burner and bring water to a boil. Add soup starter and clams or king crab leg shells and simmer for about 5 minutes then remove (leaving just the soup).
Now you’re ready to add the veggies, mushroom, and meat! Add a few ingredients at a time and when ready to eat, dip into your favorite dipping sauce.
To finish, you can add udon. To make rice porridge, you can add a bowl of left over rice to the remaining rich soup. When the liquid reduces, you can add an egg, green onion, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and any other left over ingredients.

Nespresso Machine Review

mamaloli — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 14:27:53 +0000

I received my Red Nespresso Machine Bundle as a Christmas gift and have been using it nonstop.

I’ve always wanted to get those fancy espresso machines, but hated the idea of having a big clean up job in the end. This has actually stopped me from getting a nice espresso machine for 10 years! I used to work at Starbucks when I was in college, so I know what it’s like to be stuck with ground espresso beans everywhere. Well, my contemplation to get an espresso machine has come to a halt thanks to my aunt. She got me a convenient Nespresso Machine, so I can enjoy making my drinks at home. The nespresso uc50 is small and does not take up a lot of counter space.

It’s great that I can quickly make mochas, lattes, and caramel macchiatos when I have guests over. All you do is put a nespresso capsule into the machine, and you get a great shot of espresso.

The capsules I mainly use are the Fortissio Lungo (green capsule – cereal, very roasted, intense), Decaffeinato Lungo (red capsule – decaf, roasted, balanced), and the Ciocattino (brown striped capsule – Dark, bitter chocolate, balanced).

My machine was bundled with the Nespresso Aeroccino Plus which is also very convenient, because you get a perfect hot milk froth in about a minute (it also makes cold milk froth).

Try the nespresso machine if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to enjoy espresso drinks. My sister uses the cute Nespresso Pixie and also has great results.

If you’re looking for a latte recipe, try my toffee nut latte. I’ll also be posting more espresso drinks soon!

Toffee Nut Latte

mamaloli — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 14:23:39 +0000

Toffee Nut Latte

Toffee nut latte is one of my favorite espresso drinks. The rich, toasty, sweet-buttery taste of toffee goes well with the bitter espresso. I love making toffee nut latte at home, because it makes my house smell like a coffee shop! I used the Nespresso machine which you can read about in my blog post.

This recipe can easily be made into any latte. Just replace the toffee nut syrup with your favorite flavored syrup. You can also enjoy it as a plain latte (no syrup).

This recipe makes 1 Toffee Nut Latte

Ingredients

1 Nespresso lungo capsule or (1 to 2 shots of espresso)
1 tablespoon toffee nut syrup (1 pump)
1 cup hot milk froth

Things You’ll Need

Cooking Instructions

Put 1 tablespoon (1 pump) toffee nut syrup into a mug. Prepare the hot milk froth. Prepare 1 lungo capsule for the nespresso machine.
Add the hot milk froth to the toffee/espresso mixture. Top with a little bit of foam and enjoy!

Din Tai Fung – Bellevue

mamaloli — Sat, 08 Feb 2014 17:24:42 +0000

Have you ever tried xiaolongbao (soup dumplings)? I could eat a hundred of these soup dumplings every day.

I first heard about Din Tai Fung after watching Grandpa’s over flowers (꽃보다 할배 hit Korean traveling variety show). In the episode where they visit Taiwan with SNSD’s Sunny, they stopped by Din Tai Fung to eat soup dumplings.

Sunny and grandpas eating soup dumpling

Sunny, Lee Seo Jin, Na PD, and Grandpas

Since watching the show, I started craving soup dumplings. Well, today was my lucky day, because I got to go to the Din Tai Fung chain in Bellevue, Washington. These little pieces of heaven are filled with soup. You poke a hole in the dumpling and let the juice/soup out. Eat the soup and then the dumpling with vinegar ginger pieces. Or if you prefer, you can devour the whole thing like my husband. Just be careful not to burn your mouth.

Xiaolongbao

The Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) were soooooooooooo yummy.

Shrimp and Pork Shao Mai

I also tried the delicious shrimp and pork shao mai. These were also filled with soup. I can’t wait to try all of their dumplings!

Pork Chop Fried Rice

My husband really liked the pork chop fried rice. He lived in Taiwan and really missed these pork chops since moving to the U.S.

Braised Beef Noodle Soup

Everything about this braised beef noodle soup was great. The broth was deep and not over salted. The beef was juicy and the noodles were perfect in texture.

Passion fruit Boba

It was freezing cold, but I still had to have my dessert. Today, I tried the passion fruit boba (great choice).

Making Soup Dumplings

There’s always a huge line at Din Tai Fung, and after visiting today, I can see why. The food and service is all great. Just be ready to wait, especially on the weekends.

Din Tai Fung
700 Bellevue Way NE #280, Bellevue, WA 98004
(Lincoln Square)

Thai Chili Lime Dipping Sauce

mamaloli — Sat, 01 Feb 2014 14:25:10 +0000

Thai Chili Lime Dipping Sauce

Do you need the perfect dipping sauce for Asian fried foods? After visiting Thailand, I fell in love with the sauce they serve with fried foods (especially fried seafood). The citrusy yet spicy Thai Chili Lime Dipping Sauce really gets my appetite going. It’s not the typical sweet chili sauce you get in Americanized Thai restaurants. This Thai chili lime dipping sauce recipe has the perfect balance of sweet, sour, and salty tastes.

I made this sauce to go with my Thai crab cakes, but it goes extremely well with fried fish too. Now that my Thai dipping sauce is ready, I can imagine I’m back in one of those private pool villas near Thai beaches.

This recipe makes about 1/2 cup

Ingredients

1/3 cup lime juice
2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sambal oelek
2 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 thai chillies (minced)
1 green onion (minced)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon minced cilantro

Cooking Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (overnight preferred). Serve with your favorite fried foods.

Blue Crab Roll

mamaloli — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 15:15:02 +0000

Blue Crab Roll

On days when I don’t have a lot of energy or a big appetite (rare occasion), I like to make blue crab rolls. When I lived in Los Angeles, blue crab rolls were part of a lunch special at sushi restaurants. After eating fresh nigiri-zushi, a single blue crab roll would signal the end of my meal. I would leave the restaurant with a full belly and be motivated to work the rest of the day (like those female manga characters)! This blue crab roll recipe is very easy to make and great for days when you’re feeling lazy or unmotivated. Add some wasabi to spice things up!

This recipe makes about 6 to 8 rolls

Ingredients

1 batch Sushi Rice
8 oz blue crab meat (225g)
4 to 5 tablespoon Japanese Mayonnaise
4 sheets toasted nori (cut each sheet in half)
1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds
wasabi (optional)

Things You’ll Need

Bamboo Sushi Board

Cooking Instructions

Make Sushi Rice and let it cool down completely before using (after mixing the vinegar mixture with hot rice, I let it cool down for at least 45 minutes). In a mixing bowl, mix crab meat with mayonnaise and black sesame seeds. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
When sushi rice has cooled completely, spread onto the nori (not too much). Dab a little bit of wasabi on the rice.
Fill the roll with the blue crab mayo mixture. Roll into a cylinder or cone shape and eat right away.

Gyudon – Beef Bowl

mamaloli — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 14:50:49 +0000

Gyudon – Beef Bowl

Gyudon, also known as beef bowl, is a popular Japanese fast food dish. It’s a convenient, but hearty food that can be found almost anywhere by busy businessmen and students in Japan. It’s my husband’s favorite food to eat. He loves it so much that he ate it every single day while he was visiting Japan. My husband spent years tweaking his gyudon recipe and finally replaced the original gyudon recipe we had on this site.

Gyudon is a bowl of rice topped with beef and onion which is simmered in a sweet soy sauce dashi based broth. Gyudon is quick and easy to make and often served with benishoga. The key to making gyudon is using thinly sliced beef. You can find the thinly sliced beef in Japanese Markets. Also, grated young ginger must not be left out!

Cooking time: about 20 minutes

This recipe makes 2 beef bowls

Ingredients

2 bowls of cooked rice
9 oz thinly sliced beef – short plate (350g)
1 medium sweet onion (300g)
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon granulated dashi (Japanese Soup Stock)
1 small piece kombu (1 inch)
2 1/2 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon mirin (Japanese sweet cooking wine)
2 tablespoon sake
2 tablespoon grated young ginger
benishoga to top (optional)

Cooking Instructions

Slice onion thinly and grate young ginger. Put water, kombu, and dashi in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the beef, grated ginger, sugar, mirin, and sake and bring to a boil again.
Finally, add the onion and soy sauce. Cover and let the mixture simmer for 15 to 20 minutes over medium-low heat. Use chopsticks to scoop out the beef and onion and top over bowl of rice. Use a tablespoon to pour about 2 tablespoon of the liquid over the beef bowl. You’ll discard most of the liquid.

New Mamaloli.com

mamaloli — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 16:47:16 +0000

Happy New Year!

Welcome to the new mamaloli.com! Do you like the change? I’ve been away from posting new posts due to moving out of state, working a new job, and finishing up school. My husband and I originally finished a new design early last year, but both of us were extremely busy. When we went to resume with the design during this winter break, we found the design was already outdated. On top of that, our whole system was outdated. We had to trash the new/old design and come up with a new/new design.

I did not get to enjoy my winter break making yummy foods or cute dessert as I planned, but I’m happy with the way everything turned out. I still have one more semester left of school, but I do plan on posting new recipes and blog posts soon! To stay up to date with my posts, please follow me on pinterest, twitter, instagram, google+, or subscribe to my rss feed.

Special thanks to my hubby for working on the website!

Check out Mamaloli.com throughout the years.