Category Archives: Asian Recipes

Tuck Into Tagliatelle — With Korean-Style Ragu

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Italian tagliatelle with a tomato-less ragu that gets a Korean twist.
Italian tagliatelle with a tomato-less ragu that gets a Korean twist.

You may know gochujang, the fiery red fermented Korean chili paste.

But perhaps lesser known are its compatriots: doenjang, fermented soybean paste; and ganjang, a thin, dark soy sauce.

These three fermented pastes and sauces are essential building blocks in Korean cooking, according to Mingoo Kang.

The Seoul-born Kang should know. He’s chef-owner of Mingles in Seoul, which not only holds two Michelin stars, but was named one of Asia’s “50 Best Restaurants.”

In his cookbook, “Jang” (Artisan, 2024), of which I received a review copy, he explores how these three ingredients are integral to his heritage and his cooking.

The book was written with assistance from Joshua David Stein, a New York City cookbook author and Nadia Cho, who has been a liaison for chefs and journalists to Korean food and culture.

“Jang,” which rhymes with “song,” showcases more than 60 recipes, some traditional and others more unconventional. They run the gamut from “Ganjang Granola Yogurt” and ‘Ssamjang Cacio e Pepe” to “Yangnyeom Chicken (Korean Fried Chicken)” and “Doenjang Vanilla Creme Brulee.”

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Gnocchi — But Turn It Korean

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Korean bibimbap gets a little Italian flair.
Korean bibimbap gets a little Italian flair.

When it comes to cooking, Hetty Lui McKinnon has a knack for seeing what others don’t. With a gift for fusing ingredients from different cultures, this Chinese Australian cookbook author who lives in Brooklyn creates dishes that aren’t confounding, but rather thoughtfully and marvelously cohesive.

After all, who else would think to take Italian gnocchi and turn it into a foundation for Korean bibimbap?

Her “Bibimbap-Style Gnocchi with Gochujang Vinaigrette” absolutely works, too, with purchased gnocchi taking the place of the usual chewy Korean rice cakes or fluffy steamed rice.

The recipe is from her latest cookbook, “Linger” (Alfred A. Knopf), of which I received a review copy. It’s a collection of hearty salads and simple desserts that are especially dear to her heart.

In fact, salads are what inspired her culinary career. As a mother of three living in Australia, she started a salad delivery service out of her home. Two days a week, for four years, she made salads and delivered them on her bike to customers.

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The No-Guilt Pleasure of Japanese Pudding

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A sweet taste of Japan.
A sweet taste of Japan.

Even after visiting twice in six months, there are still so many aspects about Japan that I sorely miss:

The speed and efficiency of its bullet trains.

The reverence for ancient cultural traditions.

The civility and orderliness.

And most of all, the pudding.

Whether we had just gorged on a dinner of sushi or ramen or even a fine kaiseki, my husband and I could not pass a 7-Eleven there at the end of the night without stopping in to grab a small container of pudding in the refrigerator case.

Think the smoothest, silkiest flan with a layer of dark, bittersweet caramel.

For all of $1.50 U.S.

Is it any wonder that one taste left us immediately hooked on this pudding that’s known as purin?

Yearning for it back home, I came across a particular intriguing version of it: “Soy Sauce Pudding (Shoyu Purin)”

It’s from the new cookbook, “The Japanese Pantry” (Smith Street Books), of which I received a review copy.

It’s by Emiko Davies, an Australian-Japanese food writer and veteran cookbook author, who runs a cooking school and natural wine bar, Marilu, with her sommelier husband in San Miniato, Tuscany.

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Tiramisu — But Make It With Hong Kong Milk Tea

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An inspired Chinese spin on Italian tiramisu.
An inspired Chinese spin on Italian tiramisu.

Consider this the king of tiramisus.

Not only is it the creation of San Francisco Chef Melissa King. But it cemented her victory on “Top Chef: All-Stars” when one taste immediately brought tears to the eyes of legendary Italian butcher Dario Cecchini, who knows a thing or two about fine tiramisu.

As you can probably glean, her genius move was to give an Asian spin to this classic Italian dessert by swapping out the traditional espresso for Hong Kong milk tea instead.

This recipe for that winning “Hong Kong Milk Tea Tiramisu” is from her debut cookbook, “Cook Like A King” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy.

Growing up in Los Angeles’ San Gabriel Valley and in San Francisco, she started cooking with her mom as a kid. After college, she enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America. She ended up working under such lauded Bay Area chefs as Dominique Crenn and Ron Siegel.

In 2014, she was a finalist in “Top Chef” (Season 12) before going on to win “Top Chef: All-Stars” in 2020. I often think she didn’t receive the fanfare she deserved as the first Asian American female chef to triumph on “Top Chef,” largely because the worldwide pandemic erupted shortly afterward that rightly consumed everyone’s attention.

I’m glad to see that this cookbook — filled with such enticing, creative and fun creations — is allowing her to finally receive her flowers.

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Tea Time with Hojicha Shortbread

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Buttery, crisp shortbread flavored with roasted Japanese green tea.
Buttery, crisp shortbread flavored with roasted Japanese green tea.

Move over, matcha.

The new “It” Japanese tea in town is hojicha.

With its rather homely, dirt color, it may lack the splashy, attention-grabbing vivid green hue of matcha. But like a brooding, slightly mysterious friend, it can take a little time to reveal just how appealing and intriguing it can be.

This low caffeine, Japanese green tea is pan-roasted over charcoal to create its characteristic smoky, toasty and nutty quality that has hints of coffee and caramel.

It stars magnificently in “Hojicha Shortbread,” which bakes up with an unusual top.

The recipes is from the new cookbook, “Baking & the Meaning of Life” (Abrams), of which I received a review copy.

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