Category Archives: By Cuisine

Wonton Soup

When we were back in Hawaii, we always used to pick up fresh sui gow and wonton skins from the Yat Tung Chow Noodle Factory in Honolulu’s Chinatown. There’s nothing like using freshly-made skins for making dumplings at home. When we moved to the Bay Area, though, we couldn’t find a fresh noodle factory here in San Jose.

However, we did manage to find a noodle factory in Oakland’s Chinatown. On the rare occasion we find ourselves in Oakland’s Chinatown (usually to have wonton soup at Gum Kuo Restaurant), we also stop by Yuen Hop Noodle Company and pick up some wonton skins, sui gow skins and some fresh noodles.

Yuen Hop Noodle Company (Oakland, CA)

Yuen Hop Noodle Company (824 Webster St, Oakland, CA)

Now that the weather is getting cold, I am craving more soups and stew-type foods. This is perfect weather for a nice, hot bowl of wonton soup. But it’s just too far for us to go all the way to Gum Kuo in Oakland for a bowl of wonton soup. Besides, I figure it’s easy enough to make on my own.

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Thanks and Thanks Again, PLUS a Seven Things Meme

Today, I heard a knock at the door.

By the time I opened the door, the FedEx van was already pulling out of the driveway.  I looked down and, lo and behold, there was a box that had been sent by Annie’s good friend in Michigan.  Inside was an apple pie from Zingerman’s Bakehouse!

Zingerman’s Bakehouse Apple Pie

Zingerman's Bakehouse Apple Pie

Last year, Annie had gone to visit her friend and came back with an amazing apple pie from Franklin Cider Mill in Franklin, MI.  It was far and away the best apple pie we had ever had, even beating the pie we had at Gizdich Ranch.  But Annie’s friend said that the apple pie from Zingerman’s was also good.  I guess this was our chance to find out how good it is.

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Braised Char Siew (or Non-bake Char Siew)

Braised Char Siew (no-bake)

I’ve been wanting to make Char Siew for a while now. I have a go-to recipe that my friend, Maria shared with me a while ago but that recipe requires me to marinate the meat for at least 2 days or more before baking. But because I was craving some char siew immediately and didn’t want to pay over $6/lb for it at the Chinese BBQ shop, I decided to try this recipe that I found at Baking Mum’s blog. Continue reading Braised Char Siew (or Non-bake Char Siew)