One of my clearest adolescent food memories is my dad’s chicken adobo. I remember eating the unofficial national dish of the Philippines when I was in high school, often times every other week. After high school, I didn’t eat chicken adobo for years. I had reached my allotment.
Category Archives: Meaty
kachka’s short rib borscht
Kachka is having a bit of a moment in Portland. It’s a sweet little Russian restaurant with a chef who’s elevating what I used to consider bland, heavy food. Truth be told, Russian food can be heavy, but to me it’s perfect for the rainy, chilly days we’ve been having for the last few months in the Pacific Northwest. Continue reading kachka’s short rib borscht
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
learning chinese cooking from the best: ti pong
I first experienced Ti Pong made by my mother-in-law’s sister, aka Aunt Kathy. The dish is one of her Chinese specialties, but because she lives in Nashville, it’s not something I have the opportunity to eat on a regular basis. I have delicious memories of eating Aunt Kathy’s Ti Pong during our last two visits to Nashville. In non-Chinese terms, Ti Pong is meaty, fatty, delectably braised pork shank. It melts in your mouth and is a truly meaty treat. Continue reading learning chinese cooking from the best: ti pong
the great fry-off
Sometimes we believe our kitchen creations or family recipes are the best, and sometimes we need a contest to add validation to that belief. My friend Mel has always maintained that her grandma’s fried chicken recipe is the best. The double frying coupled with the secret ingredient of club soda is what sets Mel’s grandma’s fried chicken above all others. My husband thinks his fried chicken is the best. Brined overnight and the secret of air chilling is why his version is the best. Continue reading the great fry-off
the BOMB experiment
On a recent weekend afternoon, my husband and I logged in a few hours at a restaurant with an expansive patio. While sitting on that sunny patio, beers in hand, facing the water, we started scheming ways in which to market my husband’s amazing bacon. He’s been making ‘backyard bacon’ for a few months now. There have been winning batches in terms of taste, and one losing batch that was way too salty. He’s perfected the combo of curing ingredients, and time on the smoker, and the last round he made was out of this world. Full disclosure on being completely biased, but damn that bacon really is tasty. Continue reading the BOMB experiment
planks and sticks 