A Cook’s Guide to Purple Yam (Ube)
Purple yam, or ube, is Dioscorea alata, a purple-colored tuber. It should not be confused with taro or similarly-colored …
Kitchen Tales
Bean Curd (Tofu) Skin Buying and Cooking Guide
The skin that forms on the surface of boiled soy milk is gathered to make bean curd (tofu) skin.
Technically, …
Herb-infused Sugar Syrup to Sweeten Iced Tea
Do you add sugar to your tea? Most people sweeten their tea, hot or cold.
I don't sweeten hot tea but I grew up with …
How to Use an Onigiri Mold
How to make uniform-sized and shaped onigiri? Unless you're a seasoned cook well trained in Japanese cooking, you use an …
Lotus Root Buying and Cooking Guide
Cooked as vegetable in China, Japan and India, lotus root is sold fresh, dried or canned. Mildly flavorerd and crunchy, …
Fastest Way to Remove Slime Off Catfish
There are several kinds of catfish. They are known by different names but I am no authority on regional names.
In …
Calamansi (Kalamansi)
A citrus hybrid with small sour fruit, calamansi is ubiquitous in Filipino cooking. I used to think the fruit was unique …
Crispy Pork Belly With No Deep Frying
A slab of pork belly, skin on, is simmered in salted water, drained and cooled then lowered into a pot of very, very hot …
Garam Masala is a Spice Blend
Garam masala which translates to "warm spice mix" is an ingredient often used in South Asian cooking. It isn't one spice …
Cooking Okra Pods, Leaves and Flowers
Most people find the sliminess of okra unpleasant. But did you know there is a way to enjoy okra with very little of the …
Squash Blossoms and How to Prep Them for Cooking
What exactly are squash blossoms? Are they literally the flowers of the squash plant? Yes, they are.
There are a …
What is Chinese Five-spice Powder Made Of?
Have you ever wondered why every time you buy Chinese five-spice powder, the flavor of the cooked dish is never exactly …