Category Archives: Recipes

Chinese, Pork

Hot Sour Gai Choy Soup with Roasted Pig’s Feet and Duck Heads

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Hot Sour Gai Choy Soup with Roasted Pig's Feet and Duck Heads

Man, what a mouthful that title is! The reason it is such a mouthful is that I always thought this dish was called "Kiam Chye Boey" but found out from my mom that it is not. "Kiam Chye Boey" is a dish that uses "kiam chye" – salted mustard greens (gai choy). This dish, on the other hand, only uses fresh gai choy.

What is similar between the two dishes, is that they both use leftover meat, such as pig’s feet and duck’s head (you could even use turkey if you like). Now, I know that pig’s feet and duck’s head doesn’t sound very appealing as good eats. But let me tell you, this dish is simply delicious! If you like Chinese Hot Sour Soup, this is a gazillion times better! And it’s so easy to make once you procure yourself the right ingredients.

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Chinese, Pork, Shrimp, Vegetables

Wonton Soup

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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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Bakes, Vietnamese

Thanks and Thanks Again, PLUS a Seven Things Meme

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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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