Recipe Index (by Ingredients)

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Recipes that include vinegar (white)

Chinese Cucumber Salad (with any type of cucumber)

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

I posted a Taiwanese Cucumber Salad recipe 10 years ago! It is one of my most loved dishes, meaning my kids love it, Lon loves it, all my guests love it. It’s such a great side dish that I use it very, very often and I get requests for the recipe every time.

During the pandemic, I started looking at my recipes in a new way. I realized that the old recipe might deter some from trying it because the traditional method works best with Taiwanese cucumbers or Persian Cucumbers. They are slim, thin-skinned, and seedless cucumbers. But, those cucumbers are hard to find and not necessarily at everyone’s local supermarket. They weren’t available to me for the last several months either. So, I’ve re-written this recipe to work for standard conventional cucumbers or English Hothouse cucumbers. If the skin is thick, use this method, which starts with peeling the cucumbers. If you have a thin-skinned, seedless cucumber, use the old method.

~made with conventional cucumbers~

Just so you know, in actuality, I’ve been using this method for years because sometimes I just happen to have standard conventional cucumbers in the fridge and that’s what I use. It just never occurred to me to re-write the recipe but the pandemic has made me more aware of the value of versatility in a recipe.

~Spicy version~

Chinese Cucumber Salad

Ingredients –

  • 2 large cucumbers (around 2 lbs)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • chili oil to taste (optional)

Instructions –

  1. Peel the cucumbers. Slice in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Discard peels and seeds.
  2. Slice into 1/4″ thick pieces and place in a storage container (that has a lid).
  3. Sprinkle with sugar and salt. Cover tightly and shake the container to coat the cucumbers in sugar and salt. Put it in the fridge for at least 2 hours (up to the day before you want to eat it).
  4. Drain the cucumbers (these will let out quite a bit of water). Add vinegar and sesame oil. Cover tightly and shake again. Place it back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (up to a few hours).
  5. When you’re ready to serve, add garlic. Drizzle chili oil if you want it to be spicy. Cover and give it a good shake. Serve.
  6. The cucumbers will be most refreshing the first day but left-overs can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
~made with very large kirbies~
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Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

It’s taken a very long time for winter to come this year and I’m not complaining.  However I have been waiting for my noodle soups; they are one of my favorite categories of food. (Have you ever thought about what your favorite food categories are, as opposed to favorite foods?) Credited for getting me through the freezing cold days, I just love wrapping my hands around steamy bowls bigger than my head. I slurp away my chills with Wonton Noodle Soup, Ramen, Pho, any noodle soup, I love them all! It seems crazy that FoodMayhem is nearing it’s fifth anniversary and yet I’ve never posted the noodle soup I grew up on: Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup.

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup 4

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Bean Curd and Watercress Salad

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

I know it has been a long time since I’ve blogged! And, NO little cousin Jeffrey, the blog is not dead. Give me some time! Caya is just under 15 weeks old and she does not like to nap. She takes up all my time all day long!

My mom made this Bean Curd and Watercress Salad all the way back in April for Sophia’s (my brother’s girlfriend) birthday. I loved it and it’s been on my mind since. The watercress has a squishy crunch to it. The bean curd is tender but firm. Together, the alternating texture and flavor is addictive and so cooling on a hot summer day.

Bean Curd and Watercress Salad 3

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Rosemary Turkey Meatloaf

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Meatloaf ain’t pretty but a good one is so tasty, moist, and comforting. It fills in those spaces left by the winter blues and it can be all that without being a heavy and fatty meal. This meatloaf is so tender, you could eat it after your wisdom teeth are pulled. It’s so moist, you won’t be reaching for your glass of water. Yet, I only used turkey meat, a lean protein, and besides one egg for the whole loaf, no fat is added.

As we ate it, Lon asked me, what’s making this meatloaf so moist? I listed ingredients and he kept saying, and…and…Well, that was it. No mystery gob of lard. This comfort food is healthy!

Rosemary Meatloaf

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Cheating Enchiladas

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Let’s not talk about the food yet.  Let’s talk about the reason for this dish or more specifically the recipe.  In previous posts for chili pepper-based recipes, we have received notes about how the chili peppers we use are often hard to find in certain areas: cascabels, chipotles, pequins, anchos, guajillos, etc.  Other people have asked for chili pepper flavor without so much spice/heat.  We’ve heard loud and clear, so this post is about making an authentic-tasting chili pepper sauce, using readily available ingredients with a rich taste that is not spicy.  Let’s hope it works out!

The first part is making a Latin-flavored shredded pork.  I’ve done BBQ-style pulled pork before; even though this uses the same cut (pork butt) and is shredded, it tastes totally different.  Plus we’re going to use it to make an enchilada casserole, which we’ve done before (last time the enchiladas were beef with a green sauce), so this is quite different.

Pork Enchiladas with rice and salad

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Taiwanese Cucumber Salad

Friday, July 16, 2010

This is turning out to be a record hot summer, when even mornings and evenings may not bring about a cool breeze. My long morning walks with Ice have been cut really short, and I dread riding the subway in fear of the 5 minutes on the platform. It started out as a great excuse for extra ice cream, but then I turned to lemonade, watermelon, grass jelly, anything for relief.

I called my mom, complaining about the heat, and leave it to mom for some more great ideas. She says, come over, I’ll make you my cucumber salad. We’ll have it with some cold noodles with peanut sauce, and we’ll go buy Do Fu Hwa for you to take home. Then it occurred to me. I never shared my mom’s Taiwanese Cucumber Salad, a summer staple at our house. How could I have let this go un-published for so long?

Taiwanese cucumber salad title

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Sweet & Sour Spare Ribs

Monday, June 28, 2010

Sweet & Sour dishes are commonly known Chinese dishes. They’re probably even in the top 5 most popular. Yet, what I’ve seen at “fake” Chinese take-outs rarely resembles what I know of as Sweet & Sour. They’re often neon orange ( I don’t even know where that color comes from), taste like pure fried batter without meat, sweeter than a lollipop, or all three atrocities.

I’m not claiming that the real thing is healthy. It’s not. These spare ribs are deep-fried. There is still a lot of sugar, though I have to believe less than whatever “they” put. Plus, I know I’m still using meat. It is delicious, in addictive little chunks that work well as finger food at parties. Of course, Sweet & Sour Ribs goes over well with the kids too.

Sweet & Sour Spare Ribs 2

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Eel with Yellow Chives

Saturday, May 29, 2010

When I went to mom’s to learn Tee Pong (Red Cooked Picnic Shoulder), there was a theme that day. I was learning my grandfather’s favorite dishes, and after that fatty pig centerpiece, his next favorite was Eel with Yellow Chives. And just to let you know, he always finished every meal with oranges.

My grandpa insisted on eating these favorite dishes so much that my mom had to make it constantly, and we ordered it at restaurants too. Now, long after my grandfather passed away (in 1996), I realized that my mom hasn’t made Eel with Yellow Chives in years. I asked my mom why and she said it’s kind of a pain to make. Fresh eel requires a lot of cleaning. She also told me that sometimes she would be lazy and by frozen packs of prepped eel strips, ready-to-use, but in the last few years, she hasn’t seen it at the market. The yellow chives require some cleaning too.

Eel with Yellow Chives 2

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Hot & Sour Soup

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

I consider Hot & Sour Soup a stuffy nose remedy. Like wasabi, it instantly opens the flood gates, and for a heavenly 10 minutes after drinking this soup, you can breathe, through both nostrils if you’re lucky.

Hot & Sour Soup 5

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Broccoli Stem and Cherry Salad

Sunday, December 13, 2009

I know lots of you are throwing out the broccoli stems, just eating the pretty little florets. I also know that you’re not wasting it intentionally, you just don’t see recipes for broccoli stems that often. Who knows what to do with them? Well, let this be a start to new things. Broccoli stems are crisp and crunchy, refreshing, and healthy.

Broccoli Stem and Cherry Salad 3

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