In the chaotic kitchen of a recipe developer, you get a food blog called FoodMayhem.
I'm Jessica, an Asian-American, born and raised in NYC, and that's Lon, my Jewish, white husband. While professionally trained as a French culinary- and pastry chef, many of FoodMayhem recipes are my attempt to preserve and share authentic Chinese and Taiwanese recipes learned from my mom. We don't eat Chinese food every day, so you'll get a little bit of anything we find delicious enough to share: from our Eastern European side; recipes and techniques learned from my restaurant days; restaurant reviews, food travel tips; and a few other juicy bits along the way. Welcome to FoodMayhem!
I couldn’t decide what to make for #NYCookieSwap 2011. It’s a big deal with cookie greats like Dorie Greenspan attending! Lon saved the day and came up with an idea I loved: a way to combine three classic cookies that everyone loves. What’s better than your favorite cookie? Three of your favorite cookies in one! It’s a Chocolate Chip Cookie in the center with a ring of Chocolate Cookie around it, with another ring of Peanut Butter Cookie around that.
I’m gearing up for Superbowl, and in my world, that has nothing to do with the sport, the teams, or wherever it’s located. Where is the Superbowl? For me, it’s just another excuse to eat, cook, and be merry. Yup, I’ll be throwing you a couple of ideas for your party and I think a football shaped treat is just the way to start us off on the right foot.
I hope you made the Cold Noodles with Peanut Sauce yesterday and have left-over sauce, because that wonderful peanut sauce is also used for this dish, Vegetarian Fish. It’s another perfect summer time food because it is served cold or at room temperature. The mung bean sprouts are crunchy and refreshing, held together by the light and thin bean curd sheets.
I’m not entirely sold on the name Vegetarian Fish but that’s just the literal translation from Chinese. Vegetarian Fish (and another one called Vegetarian Duck that I will post too) is basically a filling wrapped in bean curd sheets. It has nothing to do with fish at all and is truly vegetarian.
Having never cooked with bean curd sheets before (but eaten it countless times), I was shocked at how incredibly easy it us to use. I stood there with my mouth gaping open as my mom assembled this dish, 1, 2, 3…Why had I waited so long to use bean curd sheets? I love the way it tastes too. Imagine taking tofu, which I adore, and making it into the thinnest of crepes, with amazing elasticity, so that you can wrap anything inside. It’s a blessing!
Cold Noodles in Peanut Sauce is an extended family favorite. And by “extended family”, I mean all our cousins, second cousins, all the kids in the neighborhood I grew up with, and basically anyone who’s met my mother. Everyone just loves this dish. My mom has been making it for every barbecue as far back as I can remember, and for all the birthday parties that ever graced our backyard. I remember times when she had to keep on making more as the party was going because it kept getting devoured. But, it’s so easy that you can just whip it up in no time, while a screaming load of kids run around.
Whenever I have left-over steak, it becomes a steak salad or steak sandwich. The reincarnation must be something cold because I cannot stand reheating beef. I want it nice and rare or not at all. The other day, Caroline mentioned Gado Gado in a comment so it was fresh in my mind and I was now craving it, so that’s how this Gado Gado with Beef came about (it doesn’t usually have beef in it).
While I was going to depart from traditions anyway, I decided to take liberties to creating the color scheme I wanted and my dressing is not 100% authentic either. I absolutely love this version though and will make it again just like this for sure. (For a more authentic look, Rasa Malaysia has a great guest post from Indonesia-Eats. )
Our niece Sabrina had a fabulous backyard first birthday party yesterday. Bonnie, Sabrina’s grandma, made burgers, hot dogs, cedar plank salmon, potato and pasta salads, fruit, and desserts, the works! Of course, I had to make something. Sabrina doesn’t eat much solid food yet but she’ll see these pictures in the future and I am just ensuring my spot as favorite aunt.
I have been waiting till after the wedding to make peanut butter cups because they are pretty decadent.
