One of the many things I love about making food for others is the unintended impact it sometimes has on people. Toward the end last summer I got together with three friends from Portland for a girls weekend. The four of us have been friends since we were in our twenties living in Portland. During the weekend, in between a lot of wine drinking, we talked about cooking and recipes. One of my friends mentioned an appetizer that I used to make. She remembered everything about it, but I had never shared the recipe with her. Another one of the trio, whom I lived with in Portland, told me she still makes an appetizer that I introduced her to when we lived together. A tiramisu recipe I’ve adopted as my own, was shared with me by another friend from the group. During that girls weekend we discovered we all had recipe memories about one another.
All posts by leeheubleinhsu
relishing my favorite holiday
Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday. There’s an entire industry dedicated to Christmas excess, but Thanksgiving evokes no such feelings. There are no gifts to worry about giving. There’s no annual slog of parties to get through—and no subtle competition for who can throw the best of them. Thanksgiving lacks the kiss-at-midnight ritual that leave the unkissed feeling unloved. There’s little pressure to drink more or carouse later or otherwise engage in forced jollity. No one spends time worrying about costumes. It’s all about food, family, friends and sharing together around the same table. It’s the best.
the soup of ages
I recently returned from a trip to NYC. As always, it was an amazing time filled with friends, food, music and more food. The city is made for food-obsessed people like myself. Craving pastrami at 2 a.m. or Korean BBQ at 3 a.m.? No problem, NYC has it, and it’s open. You really can access anything your heart desires at any time. Food on demand. Continue reading the soup of ages
halloween nostalgia
I wish I had a fun story to tell about this Butterfinger recipe. Truth be told, it’s kind of boring. But I feel compelled to share Butterfingers with you because Halloween is this week, and candy is on my mind. Plus this recipe is such an easy and good treat. Continue reading halloween nostalgia
the cake of fall, aka the best apple cake ever
During my early twenties I worked at the corporate headquarters of a building materials manufacturer. If you’ve ever been to a Home Depot, you’ve likely seen the company’s products. The HQ where I worked was full of characters, namely the president and CEO. This man was a classic ego driven company man. He sported a Clark Gable mustache, entertained on the company’s yacht, and lived in a company-owned estate complete with a helipad and chef. The corporate office occupied the top two floors of the tallest building in Portland, of course. Continue reading the cake of fall, aka the best apple cake ever
learning chinese cooking from the best: lion’s head
Lion’s Head, or shi zi tou is a rustic home cooked Chinese dish that evokes tasty memories for my husband. Over the years I’ve heard about his mom’s Lion’s Head, and I’ve also heard my husband’s numerous requests for her to to make it for him. So when my mother-in-law suggested we make it together, I was excited to learn. The pork meatball and cabbage dish is slow cooked in a pot. The meatballs are meant to represent a lion, and the shredded greens its mane. Continue reading learning chinese cooking from the best: lion’s head
they like my balls
Friends. They are such an integral part of my life. I think growing up in a small family and being an only child has shaped my need for seeking and keeping myself surrounded with friends. I’m picky about my friends; I need to have real connection and commonalities. Truth be told, life is way too short to waste time with people who don’t treat you right. I like to surround myself with people who support, inspire, care and make me laugh. I am thankful to have a wonderful group of friends, near and far, who embody these characteristics. Continue reading they like my balls
learning chinese cooking from the best: eggplant salad
My mother-in-law is notoriously hard to nail down in the kitchen. And by that I mean she doesn’t measure or document any of her recipes. I asked her a while ago to make her eggplant salad so I could trail her around the kitchen with camera, pen and paper and finally capture one of my favorites from her repertoire. Continue reading learning chinese cooking from the best: eggplant salad
guide to eating: vancouver bc
This summer I spent four days in Vancouver BC. I hadn’t been there since I was a child, so this trip provided a completely different perspective for me. It’s not fair to judge after only four days, but wow, Canada’s most westerly metropolis left an impression. Continue reading guide to eating: vancouver bc
the zucchini problem
I remember when I was little my parents would grumble about the amount of zucchini that wildly multiplied in our garden. Our zucchini was extremely difficult to pawn off to friends, because it seemed that everyone who had a garden—and most people we knew did— had an abundance of the stuff. You see, the green torpedo-shaped veggies multiply easily and are hard to kill off. It’s the type of ubiquitous squash that keeps on producing, and comes back as a volunteer plant next year, whether you intend to have it in your garden or not. Let’s just say we ate a lot of zucchini during the months of August and September, when squash season is at its peak in the Pacific Northwest. Continue reading the zucchini problem
planks and sticks 