Category Archives: Asian Recipes

All Hail, Kale

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Roasted oyster mushrooms become almost like crispy croutons on this flavorful kale salad.
Roasted oyster mushrooms become almost like crispy croutons on this flavorful kale salad.

If lettuce, and specifically iceberg, still leave you skittish, then turn instead to our hardy and hearty friend, kale.

Even if you think you’ve grown bored of this vivid dark green, leafy brassica, there’s no denying its versatility, not to mention its powerhouse of nutrition and antioxidants.

So, if it’s been a while, now is the perfect time to get reacquainted with it in this flavorful “Kale and Shoyu Mushroom Salad.”

This quick recipe is from “Aloha Veggies” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Hawaii-born recipe developer and photographer, Alana Kysar, who makes her home on Maui.

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A Savory Mochi Trifecta

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Crispy and chewy, sweet and spicy, these pan-fried mochi bao have so much deliciousness going on.
Crispy and chewy, sweet and spicy, these pan-fried mochi bao have so much deliciousness going on.

You’ve enjoyed it hot and cold, on the cob and off, and in salads, pastas, soups, and sides.

But have you ever had corn stuffed inside chewy, crisp pan-fried mochi?

With gooey cheese and spicy kimchi folded in to boot?

This perfect trio of ingredients make up the filling for clever “Kimchi & Corn Cheese Pan-Fried Mochi.”

This fun recipe is from “Breaking Bao” (Chronicle Books, 2024), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Clarice Lam, an award-winning New York City pastry chef who has worked at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market, and the Chocolate Room.

Toronto-born, Los Angeles-reared, and the daughter of parents who emigrated from Hong Kong, Lam’s creations reflect her heritage and travels, melding Asian flavors with global techniques.

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Marvelous Microwave Mushrooms

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You won't believe how easy and delicious these microwaved shiitakes are.
You won’t believe how easy and delicious these microwaved shiitakes are.

This is the mushroom hack that you didn’t know you needed.

It’s a quick-as-a-wink recipe that’s perfect when you’re time-pressed.

Or in need an ideal base for a quick vegetarian meal. Or a no-brainer side dish to any Asian-influenced main.

“Steamed Shiitakes with Ginger-Garlic-Scallion Sauce” is fast, delicious, and deceptive. That’s because the “steaming” happens in about 5 minutes in your microwave.

It results in the silkiest, slipperiest, most supple mushrooms that are also plenty saucy.

This genius recipe is from “Hello, Home Cooking” (Clarkson Potter), of which I received a review copy.

The cookbook is by Ham El-Waylly, a New York City recipe developer and video creator who is chef-partner of the New Orleans-style seafood bar, Strange Delight in Brooklyn.

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Tea Time with Slice-and-Bake Matcha Cookies

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Keep a stash of this slice-and-bake dough handy in the freezer and a fresh-baked matcha cookie can be had anytime.
Keep a stash of this slice-and-bake dough handy in the freezer and a fresh-baked matcha cookie can be had anytime.

Have we reached peak matcha point yet?

I hope not, because this ancient powdered green tea offers a taste of history, culture, healthfulness, and grassy deliciousness along with its distinctive, vibrant color.

Did you know matcha actually originated in China in the 7th century? A Zen Buddhist monk apparently brought the tea back from his studies in China to Japan, where it was initially prepared by whisking to a froth in hot water in a reverential ceremony.

Nowadays, of course, it can be found in most anything and everything.

I love it in desserts, such as these fragrant “Slice-and-Bake Matcha Cookies.”

This recipe is from “Love Japan” (Ten Speed Press, 2023). The cookbook was written by Sawako Okochi and Aaron Israel, the married couple who are owners of the singular Shalom Japan, a Brooklyn restaurant that melds their respective Japanese and Jewish heritages. It was co-written with New York Times Style writer Gabriella Gershenson.

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Instant Ramen? Instant Yum!

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Transform your favorite instant ramen into a version of mac and cheese with spinach.
Transform your favorite instant ramen into a version of mac and cheese with spinach.

They say that if you have a pack of ramen, you have a meal.

Well, know what else you have?

A pretty nifty version of mac and cheese in the making, too.

That’s just what “Spinach Ramen Gratin” is like.

It’s from the ingenious cookbook, “Instant Ramen Kitchen” (Chronicle Books, 2025), of which I received a review copy.

It’s by Peter J. Kim, a food entrepreneur who was the founding director of Brooklyn’s now-shuttered Museum of Food and Drink, the former head of creator partnerships at Pinterest, and the former host of Counterjam, Food52’s food and music podcast. He readily admits to eating several bowls of instant ramen each week.

Ramen has a storied history and a fierce following. It was invented in Japan by Momofuku Ando in 1958 in the aftermath of World War II, when he was inspired to create something fast and cheap to nourish his impoverished countrymen.

How beloved is it? As Kim writes in the book, the Fuji Research Institute conducted a poll in 2000 to ask people to name the greatest Japanese invention of the 20th century. The winner, of course, was instant ramen.

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