# Two Jade Bowls > Globally-inspired, fresh recipes ## Posts - [Vegan Sugar-free Olive Oil Zucchini Cake](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/vegan-sugar-free-olive-oil-zucchini-cake/): I recently have been enjoying Brian Levy’s cookbook Good & Sweet, a completely sugar-free baking book which uses the natural sweetness of fruit to sweeten desserts. It’s a very creative and inspiring read, perfect for someone like me who doesn’t like desserts to be too sweet. Usually sugar-free cookbooks use sugar substitutes, like monkfruit or agave, but this cookbook uses fruit itself as the sweetener, and highlights the natural sweetness of corn, cashews, oats, etc. My favorite recipe so far is the olive oil zucchini cake, sweetened with medjool dates which are blitzed in the food processor. It’s very moist, […] - [Iraqi Spiced White Bean Stew with Lemon Herb Oil](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/iraqi-spiced-white-bean-stew-with-lemon-herb-oil/): I’ve made this Iraqi Spiced White Bean Stew with Lemon Herb Oil countless times in the last several months. It’s healthful, deeply flavorful, and very easy. When I visited Damascus, Syria in 2009 my friends and I stayed at an Orthodox convent in a quiet neighborhood. The staff at the convent suggested we try the Iraqi restaurant a down the street, where we were served several bowls of deliciously-spiced, mostly vegetarian stews and big platters of pilaf. The stews were all automatically brought out to each table, and what you ordered was the amount of pilaf. When we ordered cardamom […] - [Rum-Buttered Almond Cookies](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/rum-buttered-almond-cookies/): This has become a favorite Christmas cookie in my household. Sliced almonds are the coating for little rounds of marzipan-like almond dough, and everything is drizzled in rum-butter. The flavor is intensely almondy, like pure marzipan, and the centers are soft and tender. They are a true delight. They only stay soft about 4 days in a cookie tin, but they won’t last that long. It’s my take on the NYTimes recipe, with several changes. First of all, I make the cookies a little smaller. The original recipe says to portion the dough in 40g balls to make 18 cookies. […] - [North African Lentil Soup with Harissa, Preserved Lemon & Mint](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/north-african-lentil-soup-with-harissa-preserved-lemon-mint/): This is the season when most of us are looking for new soup and stew recipes. This North African lentil soup stands out because of the preserved lemon, spicy harissa paste, and mint. Preserved lemons are used across North Africa and the Middle East, and are the key ingredient in my favorite lemon cookies. Preserved lemons are sold in a big jar and can be found in most grocery stores, especially Middle Eastern and Persian markets. Harissa is a complex North African spice paste. It is so popular now that you can find it at Trader Joe’s. These ingredients combined […] - [Macanese Curry](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/macanese-curry/): My Macanese husband makes Macanese curry all the time. Macanese Curry is similar to Japanese curry because most recipes use Japanese curry bricks. However, Macanese curry is distinctive because it is often is made with coconut milk. My husband grew up with his mom regularly making Macanese curry for their large family of 9, using chicken, carrots, and potatoes. Since we have been together, he has adapted the recipe to make it vegetarian, often using impossible meat to make vegetarian meatballs. He also adds a wider variety of vegetables beyond the basic carrots and potatoes. We generally add a green […] - [Vegetarian Italian Wedding Soup](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/vegetarian-italian-wedding-soup/): This is one of our favorite soups, perfect for fall weather. Italian Wedding Soup is named for the “marriage” of meatballs with vegetables. We have created a vegetarian version of this classic soup by honing our skills at seasoning plant-based impossible meat to create delicious meat-free meatballs. This soup is easy enough for me to whip up on a weeknight, as it only requires a few vegetables, some veg broth, and pantry items like tiny pasta. The fresh dill and white wine are additions that make the broth especially delicious. How to make vegetarian meatballs: For the vegetarian meatballs, add […] - [Easy Neapolitan Pizza Sauce](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/easy-neapolitan-pizza-sauce/): Once you try this pizza sauce there’s no going back. It’s dead-easy and tastes exactly like the best sauce from your favorite Neapolitan pizza place. The secret is using the best quality canned San Marzano tomatoes and simply adding salt. You only break the tomatoes down a bit by grating them with a large-hole cheese grater. There’s no cooking involved at all. That’s it! It sounds ridiculous because as Americans we are used to cooking down our tomato sauces, especially pizza sauces. Every “pizza sauce” I see at the supermarket is a dark-red, thick, cooked-down sauce. Some even resemble tomato […] - [Same Day Pizza Dough](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/same-day-pizza-dough/): We use our Ooni pizza oven all the time, especially for company. Over the years I’ve experimented with several pizza dough recipes. After trial and error, this is the easy and consistent pizza dough that I keep coming back to. One of the reasons I like this recipe is that you can start the dough on the same day. Many doughs need to start the day before to ferment slowly, but sometimes I’m busy the previous evening. This dough starts around 9am to make pizza in the evening. The other easy factor with this dough is that is uses yeast […] - [Palestinian Kale Tabbouleh](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/palestinian-kale-tabbouleh/): This Palestinian Kale Tabbouleh is my favorite version of tabbouleh. It’s bright and complex, light & refreshing. It is well-balanced with a combination of parsley, mint & kale. Another reason I love this tabbouleh is that it doesn’t contain raw tomatoes, which is a quirky and possibly genetic aversion in my maternal family. At a large family reunion, one of my mom’s first cousins complained that it must have been an in-law who brought a salad containing raw tomatoes. This tabbouleh is totally green, perfect for my taste. Also, Beth recently told me this is her favorite salad, which says […] - [My Olive Oil Wedding Cake](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/my-olive-oil-wedding-cake/): I may be biased, but I swear my wedding cake was the most delicious. It was an olive oil cake with brown butter buttercream made by Little Flower in Pasadena. Here I’m sharing how to make a single layer of my wedding cake using a springform pan. I knew I wanted my wedding cake to be extra delicious. I love cake but I’m particular. I love GOOD cake – moist, flavorful cake made with wholesome ingredients. I’m not interested in mass-produced cake, boxed cake, or canned frosting. When Carl & I decided to hold our wedding at our friends’ home […] - [Vegan Caesar Salad](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/vegan-caesar-salad/): My husband never believes me that this Vegan Caesar is actually vegan. He’s always convinced I added grated parmesan to the dressing because the favor is deeply complex and the texture seems too creamy to be truly dairy-free. Even today as I was writing this post, he protested, “But there’s parmesan in there!” I developed this Vegan Caesar Salad dressing with a secret umami ingredient. I’ve read numerous Vegan Caesar recipes that use seaweed to replace the sardines. Seaweed is not my style, and is too fishy for me and for this salad. Instead of conjuring the ocean, I went […] - [Pear Whiskey Pie](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/desserts/pear-whiskey-pie/): This Pear Whiskey Pie is my very favorite autumn pie. I love pears, and I gravitate toward pies with surprising spices besides basic sugar and cinnamon. This pear whiskey pie has an intoxicating and complex flavor from the freshly grated ginger, allspice, white pepper, cardamom, whiskey, and bitters. It is a big crowd pleaser. This is a crumble pie which means it is topped with a delicious spiced oat topping. Prepare the pie crust and oat crumble before you slice your pears. You may choose to buy a pie crust to save time, but I encourage you to try making […] - [Mom's Flaky Pie Crust](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/desserts/moms-flaky-pie-crust/): My mom’s flaky pie crust is the very best. It’s a thick crust with distinct flaky layers. We recently had a Saturday tutorial with friends to talk through all of the subtle fine points of her technique. I hope this tutorial helps you get ready for Thanksgiving! A note on butter. In the past, pie crusts were traditionally made with lard, and then Crisco became the norm. We have switched to an all-butter crust as a flavorful solution. You may be tempted to use fancy Irish or French butter, but in fact American unsalted butter is best for pie crust. […] - [South Iranian Dal with Tamarind](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/vegan/south-iranian-dal-with-tamarind/): I recently had an evening cooking with my friend Elham. She taught me how to make this lovely South-Iranian Dal with Tamarind. She remembers being a child in Tehran and visiting the south of Iran, where her aunt would make this simple, healthy dal with tamarind. The flavor is pleasantly sour from the tamarind, and a little spicy. This dal is traditionally vegan. - [Homemade Purple Sauerkraut](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/vegan/homemade-purple-sauerkraut/): We’ve been experimenting with pickling and fermenting over the last few years. This homemade purple sauerkraut is an good first step if you want to try fermenting. Pickling is extremely popular now because it’s so easy and quick. Pickling can be done in a half hour combining vegetables with vinegar and a few other simple ingredients. Fermenting on the other hand takes about 2-3 weeks and uses salt instead of vinegar because you are building the fermentation from scratch. However, fermented vegetables are vastly more beneficial for gut health. You may choose to invest in a fermentation jar or fermentation […] - [Kung Pao Dumplings](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/comfort/kung-pao-dumplings/): This is an updated, more complex, and more delicious version of our previous Kung Pao dumplings.  This has become one of our favorite fillings for homemade wontons. What makes Kung Pao Dumplings Kung Pao? Kung Pao is a style of Sichuanese dish that focuses on the combination of peanuts and chilis. These dumplings have chopped or crushed peanuts as well as fresh chilies, ground Sichuan peppercorns for numbing heat, and white pepper for bright heat. The are a little spicy but not painfully so. This autumn, I helped organize a Chuseok (Mid-Autumn) fundraiser event for ReconciliAsian, a peacebuilding nonprofit I […] - [Macanese Curry Dumplings](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/vegan/macanese-curry-dumplings/): Chinese dumplings filled with my husband’s Macanese curry. I’m finally posting the dumpling filling recipe that my husband created from the curry of his Macanese heritage. His background is Macanese (Portuguese from Macau/Hong Kong) and their cuisine is considered the first fusion cuisine, combining Portuguese dishes with Asian and African ingredients from all of the Portuguese colonial ports. He grew up eating his mom’s Macanese curry which is very similar to Japanese curry. Macanese curry uses the same Japanese curry bricks, but the difference is the addition of coconut milk. My husband also adds a wider variety of vegetables beyond […] - [Aquafaba Whiskey Sour](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/vegan/aquafaba-whiskey-sour/): A vegan version of a classic cocktail that uses aquafaba instead of egg whites. Aquafaba is the fancy name for the liquid in a can of chickpeas. In recent years aquafaba has become a popular substitute for eggs in countless baking recipes. Aquafaba is a thick liquid that has a slippery texture very similar to egg whites, and can easily be substituted for eggs or egg whites to veganize recipes. It is only recently that I heard of using aquafaba instead of egg whites in cocktails to create the signature foamy texture at the top of the drink. This revelation […] - [Simple Chickpea Coconut Stew with Ginger, Turmeric & Kale](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/soups/simple-chickpea-coconut-stew-with-ginger-turmeric-kale/): This Simple Chickpea Coconut Stew with Ginger, Turmeric & Kale is my pared down version of Alison Roman’s viral recipe popularly known as “The Stew.” Over the last several years, this is one of the things I cook on repeat. In cooler weather I make it almost weekly. It’s healthy and extremely comforting, packed with superfood ingredients ginger, turmeric, kale, coconut milk, and chickpeas. You can serve it alongside sourdough or flatbread, or on top of rice, farro, or other grains. I think my favorite sidekick is homemade sourdough. I’m sharing this recipe with you now not only because autumn […] - [Ginger Carrot Cake](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/desserts/ginger-carrot-cake/): This is the most fabulous carrot cake. My parents baked a 6-layer version of this cake for our engagement party last year. This Ginger Carrot Cake is deeply, flavorful, moist, and incredibly delicious. It’s hard to go wrong with carrot cake, but this one is over the top because of the freshly grated ginger. It is adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe. This recipe makes a 2-tiered layered cake. For our engagement party, my parents made 1.5 times the recipe to make 3 layers, then carefully sliced them in half horizontally to make 6 thin layers. It was so impressive. […] - [Revisiting Muhammara](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/starters/revisiting-muhammara/): Muhammara was the first recipe I posted on this blog 15 years ago. Muhammara is the famous Syrian roasted red pepper, walnut, and pomegranate molasses dip. When I visited muhammara’s birthplace Aleppo, Syria in 2009, I was captivated by its contrasting, addicting flavors. Over the years I have experimented with different recipes and adapted my technique. Now as I revisit my recipe, I have tweaked the ratio of ingredients, and have embraced using jarred roasted red peppers instead of roasting my own. Don’t be ashamed of using jarred peppers. The Aleppo Cookbook even advises buying red pepper puree. For me, […] - ["That Chocolate Cake"](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/desserts/that-chocolate-cake/): “That Chocolate Cake” has been my family’s favorite chocolate cake for decades. We make it for many of our family birthdays and I made it recently as we remembered the birthday of my late step-father who especially loved this recipe. We found his handwritten notes about the frosting. He said to make sure the frosting cools to the thickness of mayonnaise, and suggested using a hot knife to spread the frosting for a glossy finish. “That Chocolate Cake” is an old classic, rich 2-layer cake recipe from Scharffen Berger Chocolate. The official name of the cake is is actually “That […] - [Summer Fruit Cobbler](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/desserts/summer-fruit-cobbler/): This is the cobbler recipe my family turns to summer after summer. This summer fruit cobbler is a choose your own adventure recipe for any variety of summer fruit you happen to find. Last week we were lucky enough to have a visiting friend gift us a flat of ripe organic Reedley peaches, plums, and apricots. If you know, you know – Reedley peaches are the best. What we love about this recipe is that it uses the perfect amount of aromatics like lemon juice and cinnamon to bring out the complex fruit flavors, and the cobbler topping is earthy […] - [Cherry Tomato Confit](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/vegan/cherry-tomato-confit/): A friend recently gave me a bag of micro cherry tomatoes roughly the size of green peas. I decided to transform them into a jar of confit. This cherry tomato confit has a delicious herbal fragrance and can be used in countless ways, including spooned over grilled vegetables or as a crostini topping. If you have a different amount of cherry tomatoes, you can be flexible with ingredient rations. Just use enough olive oil to cover the tomatoes in the baking dish. - [Dessert Chili Crisp](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/quick/dessert-chili-crisp/): A streamlined dessert chili crisp recipe neutral enough for desserts but packed with nuts and seeds for extra crunch. Since there’s no garlic or ginger, it’s fabulous on ice cream, pie, cobbler, etc., but still wonderful on savory dishes. As with all chili crisp recipes, I still love heating this chili crisp in a cast iron skillet, then frying an egg directly in the spicy oil. A few months ago I listened to a Splendid Table episode about a variety of chili crisps. The guest discussed a special dessert chili crisp that was neutral enough for ice cream without garlic […] - [Addictive Granola](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/breakfast/addictive-granola/): This is the granola we keep coming back to, with the perfect balance of sweet and salty. It uses maple syrup, brown sugar, olive oil, and the right amount salt to bring the flavors together. The almost caramel flavor is reminiscent of my Grandpa Elvin’s homemade caramel corn. When you want a extremely healthy granola, try my Turmeric Spice Granola, but when you want amped up flavors, try this Addictive Granola recipe instead. It’s adapted from Joshua McFadden’s fabulous cookbook Grains for Every Season. My adaptation adds chia and sesame seeds to the mix for texture. You may also like… - [Cola De Mono - Chilean Christmas Drink](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/desserts/cola-de-mono/): Cola de Mono (Tail of the Monkey) is a traditional Chilean Christmas drink made from milk, cinnamon, coffee, tequila, and vanilla. Cola de Mono has become a Christmas tradition in my family, lovely to have around when extended family is up late playing cards. I’ll warn you that it’s deceptively strong. There are 2 full cups of tequila in there, but all you’ll taste is the cinnamon. It makes sense to serve it in small glasses. This year I made a few healthier adaptations. I used oatmilk instead of regular milk, I replaced coconut sugar for white sugar, and I […] - [Palestinian Loubieh - Slow-Cooked Green Beans in Tomato Sauce](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/vegan/palestinian-loubieh-slow-cooked-green-beans-in-tomato-sauce/): If you’re seeking to cook Palestinian food to eat in solidarity, this is a great recipe to start with. These slow-cooked green beans in tomato sauce are comforting, earthy, and delicious. The tomato sauce sings with a hint of green chilies, coriander seeds, and lemon juice. The stew is traditionally served on top of a simple rice pilaf. It epitomizes good Palestinian cooking – humble fresh ingredients cooked well. Recently a group of friends gathered in my home to cook Palestinian food to eat in solidarity and donate to Mennonite Central Committee’s humanitarian aid in Gaza. I organized the dinner […] - [Our Vegan Chili](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/soups/our-vegan-chili/): Over the last few years Carl and I have experimented with our vegan chili technique. We started our experimentation by sampling complicated recipes that simmer all day, however the results were always darker and murkier than what we were hoping for. Then we circled back to the chilis of both of our mothers. When he was growing up, his mother won a chili cook-off with a fresh, barely cooked version with canned ingredients. My mom likewise has always made a killer “frito soup” with canned beans, tomatoes, and black olives to serve garnished with corn chips, like the soupy version […] - [Old Fashioned Zucchini Cream Pie](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/desserts/old-fashioned-zucchini-cream-pie/): This family recipe goes back generations. An Old Fashioned Zucchini Cream Pie is similar to a pumpkin pie, but uses peeled, blanched zucchini. It’s a great way to deal with an overabundant zucchini harvest at the end of summer. Whenever I mention this pie to friends they’re skeptical, but I convert them in the end. Just remember that pumpkin is another squash that makes a lovely custard pie. So this is the summer version of a squash pie – not a silly, gimmicky pie. It’s truly an old family favorite. It was the highlight a few weeks ago when multiple […] - [Grandma's Italian Walnut Cake](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/desserts/grandmas-italian-walnut-cake/): Grandma’s Italian Walnut Cake looks simple and spartan, but the flavors are bold and complex, with the fragrance of toasted walnuts, citrus zest, and rum. It’s a single-layer, round cake decorated with a simple sprinkling of powdered sugar. Grandma often had this walnut cake in the freezer, ready to serve guests stopping by.   Years ago, when I called Grandma Willa to ask for the recipe, she told me the list of ingredients, then jumped to to the finale of dusting the cake with powdered sugar at the end.  When I asked about the cake batter process, she scolded me, […] - [Preserved Lemon Crinkle Cookies](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/preserved-lemon-crinkle-cookies/): Here’s a new favorite cookie recipe, perfect for summer. I didn’t know you could use preserved lemons in a dessert, but they totally work. Preserved lemons add a floral fragrance to these cookies that’s more interesting than fresh lemons. The first time I brought these Preserved Lemon Crinkle Cookies to a dinner party, they were devoured before dinner started. They’re at once both simple and captivating. The idea originally comes from Jesse Szewczyyk, a creative lemony take on a traditional crinkle cookie, which is usually made with chocolate. My addition is the extra step of freezing the cookie dough balls […] - [Roasted Cauliflower with Crunchy Lemon-Garlic Breadcrumbs and Caper Vinaigrette](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/salads/roasted-cauliflower-with-crunchy-lemon-garlic-breadcrumbs-and-caper-vinaigrette/): This Roasted Cauliflower with Crunchy Lemon-Garlic Breadcrumbs and Caper Vinaigrette has become a favorite recipe over the last few months. Roasted cauliflower by itself is great, but it’s more fun to treat it as a canvas for adding various flavors and textures. These lemon-garlic breadcrumbs add crunchy depth and the caper dressing adds an additional punch of flavor. The technique for lemon-garlic breadcrumbs is something you could use for countless other recipes, and almost any salad. This was hands down the favorite recipe at my last cooking group event when we cooked several recipes inspired from Hetty McKinnon’s cookbook Community. […] - [Charred Cabbage with Hazelnuts & Chili Butter](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/charred-cabbage-hazelnuts-chili-butter/): Charred Cabbage with Hazelnuts & Chili Butter is a decadent, deeply delicious side dish. The cabbage becomes fork-tender and smells amazing. It is inspired by Yasmin Khan’s cookbook Ripe Figs, but I have added lemon zest and lemon juice for brightness. Feel free to experiment with varieties of cabbage. You may also like… - [Halloumi Mint Muffins](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/halloumi-mint-muffins/): This is my go-to savory muffin recipe. It’s inspired by the muffins in Yasmin Khan’s cookbook Ripe Figs. Halloumi Mint Muffins are perfect for spring and summer potlucks, picnics, brunch, or alongside soup or salad. Halloumi + mint is a classic flavor combination from Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean. My variation is swapping fresh mint instead of dried mint. I have listed amounts by weight for better accuracy. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, there are many cheap options around $15. You may also like… - [Chard Saag Aloo](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/chard-saag-aloo/): Today my colleague gifted me a big bag of beautiful Swiss chard from her garden. Tonight, I used the chard to make a lovely Chard Saag Aloo. Saag Aloo is the less famous cousin of the popular Indian dish Saag Paneer (Saag = spinach & paneer = cubes of cheese). Aloo means potato, so Saag Aloo is spinach with potatoes. Chard Saag Aloo then uses chard instead of spinach. I first fell in love with Saag Aloo when I lived in London about 15 years ago. A no-frills Indian cafe on Brick Lane served incredible spicy Saag Aloo alongside fragrant […] - [Syrian Yogurt with Walnuts, Mint & Garlic](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/starters/syrian-yogurt-walnut-mint-garlic/): I wistfully remember first eating this dish on a rooftop restaurant in Damascus in 2009, a summer spent in the Middle East before the war in Syria. A minaret from the grand mosque across the alley glowed above our table, and we sampled foods we had never before imagined. This Syrian Yogurt with Walnuts, Mint & Garlic has a surprising combination of flavors, and over the years I have recreated it for countless summer gatherings. If you like tzaziki, I think this dish is more delicious and interesting. The mint-walnut combo is unusual but perfect. In terms of proportions, honestly […] - [Ganbian Lotus Root](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/ganbian-lotus-root/): Ganbian Lotus Root is one of my very favorite Chinese dishes. This Sichuanese dish is not often found on Chinese menus in the US, so I make it at home. “Ganbian” is the “dry-fried” Sichuanese cooking method most popularly used for those classic Chinese green beans, but many foods can be cooked in the Sichuanese “ganbian” style. “Ganbian” means the veg is cooked in very little oil over med-low heat to sear before the aromatics of garlic, ginger, scallion, Sichuan peppercorns & red chilies are added. If you love dry-fried green beans, you can use the same “ganbian” method for […] - [Chinese Hot Chili Oil](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/chinese-hot-chili-oil/): Chinese Hot Chili Oil is an essential condiment in my fridge, and very simple to make. I drizzle it on everything from noodles, fried rice, dumplings, avocado toast, or savory oatmeal, you name it. One of my favorite things is to heat a teaspoon of this hot oil in a cast iron skillet and fry an egg in it. Yum. Chinese Hot Chili Oil is often referred to as “Chili Crisp” because of the crispy ground chili, garlic, and other treasures at the bottom of the jar that add texture as well as flavor to your dishes. Over the last […] - [Vietnamese Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Grilled Bananas](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/vietnamese-coconut-tapioca-pudding-with-grilled-bananas/): This Vietnamese Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Grilled Bananas is one of my favorite memories from Hanoi. We sat in an atmospheric corner cafe that specialized in traditional local desserts. We enjoyed this warm pudding with iced coffees from the 4th floor balcony overlooking a colorful Buddhist temple across the leafy street. It was so delicious that we returned to that cafe a few days later to enjoy the pudding and coffees all over again. Last summer at the OC Little Saigon Night Market, I found a food booth that made a similar pudding, but with grilled banana coated in green […] - [Air Fryer "Grilled" Onigiri](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/air-fryer-grilled-onigiri/): A few years ago, we received an air fryer as a gift. My favorite use for this gadget by far is “grilled” onigiri. Onigiri are Japanese stuffed sticky rice balls often made in triangle shapes and are usually eaten at room temperature. Onigiri make an easy lunch on the go in Japan and are often sold in convenience stores. Grilled onigiri are a classic variation, brushed with soy sauce and grilled until crispy on the edges. Air Fryer “Grilled” Onigiri are a revelation. They’re crispy on all sides, easy, savory, and fun to make. You can form the onigiri by […] - [Homemade Almond Butter with Lavender](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/homemade-almond-butter-with-lavender/): Now that nut butter prices have been increasing, I have been making my own at home. It’s so easy that I wish I would have started making them sooner. It’s also more delicious than store-bought jars. This Homemade Almond Butter with Lavender is my favorite, and it’s become my go-to snack slathered on apple wedges. I added jars of it to several Christmas stockings last winter. All you need is a food processor and a little patience. It takes about 15 minutes for my processor, with numerous pauses to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. After the first […] - [Greek Spinach Rice with Dill, Feta & Olives](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/greek-spinach-rice-with-dill-feta-olives/): As the days start to get longer, my body has been craving leafy greens. This Greek Spinach Rice with Dill, Feta & Olives hits the spot as a vibrant, healthy, satisfying side dish and is absolutely packed with flavor. This recipe calls for a huge mountain of spinach and only a cup of rice, so the finished dish has more vegetables than rice, more luscious than a pilaf. About 15 years ago this was one of my favorite side dishes to make for dinner parties. I completely forgot about the recipe until I was flipping through an old favorite cookbook, […] - [Chickpea Fennel Soup with Pesto](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/chickpea-fennel-soup-with-pesto/): This Chickpea Fennel Soup with Pesto is one of my family’s favorite soups, a cross between a pistou and a ribolatta, deeply flavorful, nourishing, and satisfying. It’s inspired by a soup in Ottolenghi’s Plenty Cookbook, the first of his books our family owned. The soup is enriched with a generous amount of white wine and fennel which both add complexity. At the table you garnish your bowl with pesto and homemade torn croutons, both easy to make. I’m happy making this soup on a regular rotation. During the recent blizzard in Southern California, a big batch of this soup made […] - [Mapo Potatoes](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/mapo-potatoes/): Mapo Potatoes are a homestyle dish from Chongqing, cooked in the same Sichuan/Chongqing red-braised method as Mapo Tofu. China’s most famous “red-braise” cooking method is from Shanghai, and uses sugar, wine, and dark soy sauce. Chongqing’s “red-braise” cooking method uses Pixian broad bean sauce, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, ginger. At first glance, Mapo Potatoes sound like a western fusion fantasy, especially since this dish doesn’t show up in Sichuan/Chongqing restaurants. This is because Mapo Potatoes are a humble homestyle food. My good friend JiongXia from Chongqing often cooked these Mapo Potatoes when we cooked together in Nanjing. I learned the technique […] - [Chinese Garlic Chili Sauce](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/chinese-garlic-chili-sauce/): I’ve made this Chinese Garlic Chili Sauce several times in the last few months, with various kinds of red and orange chilies. It’s very addictive and was the favorite among 4 homemade chili sauces at our recent Lunar New Year dinner party. This Chinese Garlic Chili Sauce recipe comes from beloved Chinese food memoir “At the Chinese Table” by Carolyn Phillips, who was my mom’s dear friend when they lived in Taiwan together in the 1970s. Her memoir is a must-read, with poetic descriptions of Chinese dishes and Chinese daily life – so evocative that I missed China intensely, deeply […] - [Lentils Braised in Red Wine](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/lentils-braised-in-red-wine/): This is one of my favorite ways to cook lentils, slowly braised in 2 cups of red wine plus herbs and aromatics. The result is a complex French-style stew that pairs nicely with crusty bread, rice, or soft polenta. I recently had a half bottle of wine left over from a dinner party and remembered this recipe as a perfect way to use it. The recipe is inspired by Deborah Madison’s The Savory Way Cookbook. you may also like… - [Potato, Leek & White Pepper Potstickers](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/potato-leek-white-pepper-potstickers/): As Lunar New Year approaches, I wanted to share another favorite dumpling recipe with you – Potato, Leek & White Pepper Potstickers. They are inspired by a Tibetan Potato Momo recipe in Hetty McKinnon’s To Asia, with Love Cookbook. The soft filling is reminiscent of pierogis, but the ginger and white pepper are distinctively East Asian instead of Eastern European. Hetty steams hers as Tibetan momos, but we like to turn them into potstickers which gives a pleasing crunchy contrast to the soft interior. (I also omit her cilantro as I’m a cilantro-phobe.) They are best served with a spicy […] - [Peppernuts (Pfeffernusse)](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/desserts/peppernuts-pfeffernuse/): Peppernuts (Pfeffernusse) are tiny teaspoon-sized Christmas cookies from my Mennonite tradition. I don’t think I’ve had a single Christmas without peppernuts, even while living abroad for many years. There are countless recipes with a myriad of flavors. My family has a famous cinnamon-scented recipe that’s delicate and addictive, which I’m sharing here for you. According to Mennonite lore, Peppernuts were great winter cookies because they were so tiny that you could fill your pockets with them as a snack while trudging through the snow in northern Europe. We also heard stores of peppernuts being used to pacify noisy little kids […] - [Mom's Orange Sugar Molasses Cookies](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/desserts/moms-orange-sugar-molasses-cookies/): I’m biased, but I swear my family has the best Christmas cookies. My Mom’s Orange Sugar Molasses Cookies are the keystone family cookies that taste like Christmas-distilled. My mom developed this ultimate holiday cookie recipe by combining several cookie inspirations. Not only is this a dark, complex molasses cookie with a solid amount of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, she also adds white pepper & dry mustard to intensify heat, complementing the spiciness of the ginger. If that wasn’t enough, she rolls the cookies in orange sugar for a floral contrast. Orange sugar is simply sugar that has been blitzed in […] - [Israeli Butternut Phyllo Spirals](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/starters/israeli-butternut-phyllo-spirals/): These Israeli Butternut Phyllo Spirals are a favorite Thanksgiving appetizer. It’s an inspired recipe from Israeli cookbook, Honey & Co. at Home. Everything I’ve made from this book has been phenomenal (like the artichokes baked with white wine, thyme & lemons). Grated butternut squash is sautéed with spices, then mixed with feta as a filling for phyllo spirals. It’s a special appetizer fitting for colder weather gatherings. you may also like… - [Syrian Carrot Salad](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/salads/syrian-carrot-salad/): This Syrian Carrot Salad falls somewhere between a salad and a quick pickle. Carrots are blanched then tossed in a garlicky dressing. If you make is several hours in advance, it lightly pickles. It’s bright, fresh, and addictive. When my vegetarian cooking group made a Syrian meal a few years ago, this humble little side dish was the surprising favorite of the evening. Lately I’ve been making it for dinner parties and people keep asking about it. I thought it was time I write it out for you. You can use carrots of any color but try to use black […] - [Thanksgiving Carrot Pie with Pecan Crust](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/desserts/thanksgiving-carrot-pie-with-pecan-crust/): Pumpkins aren’t the only vegetables that can be transformed into custard pies. You can make custard pies with all sort of squashes and root vegetables. My family even makes a killer zucchini custard pie every summer. This Thanksgiving Carrot Pie with Pecan Crust from Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons has been a family favorite for Thanksgiving the last several years. The color is a bright, almost neon orange. If you’re celebrating Thanksgiving in the backyard like us for social distancing, this pie looks radiant in the Southern California sunshine. The custard is rich and flavorful, and the pecan crust adds a […] - [Hetty McKinnon's Adult Waldorf Salad with Roasted Grapes](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/salads/hetty-mckinnons-adult-waldorf-salad-with-roasted-grapes/): A sophisticated, twist on the classic Waldorf salad from 1896, here with roasted grapes in addition to the raw apples. This is a creative recipe from Hetty McKinnon’s cookbook Family, the first book of hers I added to my collection. It was my first time roasting grapes with fresh thyme, which blew me away. This adult Waldorf also has other grown up ingredients like burrata, candied pecans, and kale or arugula. I prefer the arugula version more than the kale, but both are good options. It’s a salad I often think about because of it’s creativity and complexity of flavor. […] - [Lemony Potato Salad with Garlic Confit](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/salads/lemony-potato-salad-with-garlic-confit/): Growing up, I hated potato salad because the only style available was the creamy/goopy/mayo kind. Needless to say I also hated those creamy pasta salads. As an adult, lighter potato salads with bright lemony vinaigrettes appeared on the American landscape, and for the first time I could say I liked potato salads – this fresh style instead of the creamy style. I’m still confused why those mayo potato salads are the default. Oh well, I’ll make the kind of potato salad that I like. Last spring my vegetarian cooking group cooked a meal from Yasmin Khan’s lovely cookbook Ripe Figs […] - [Lebanese Mushroom Soup with Sumac Almonds](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/soups/lebanese-mushroom-soup-with-sumac-almonds/): This Lebanese Mushroom Soup is a simple, delicious, pureed mushroom soup for autumn that just happens to be vegan. Almonds sautéed with sumac add a delicious tangy garnish. I adapted a recipe from Salma Hage’s The Middle Eastern Vegetarian Cookbook. It’s always a comforting yet vibrant soup, and very nourishing. I love the contrast of the smooth soup topped with crunchy almonds and croutons. you might also like… - [Vegan Hummingbird Cake](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/desserts/vegan-hummingbird-cake/): A vegan version of a traditional Southern cake, which was never filled with actual hummingbirds, but rather light and lively with a myriad of flavors. This vegan hummingbird cake is filled with flavor, from the fruit notes of mashed ripe bananas, apples, and pineapple to warm notes of cinnamon and pecans. It’s easily become a favorite for company. This vegan version comes from the beautiful Mississippi Vegan Cookbook. A few years ago, my veg cooking group cooked a whole meal from this book. Every recipe was stunning and this cake was phenomenal. You don’t need to be vegan to enjoy […] - [Eggplant & Lemon Risotto](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/eggplant-lemon-risotto/): A favorite risotto – bright, delicate, graceful. This eggplant & lemon risotto is perfect on these late summer evenings. It’s comforting yet light and surprising. Inspired by the recipe in Ottolenghi’s cookbook Plenty. Use good quality vegetable stock with a flavor you enjoy, homemade if possible. You may also like… - [Pozole Verde with Pumpkin Seed Mole](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/pozole-verde/): Stopping by a favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican market, the mountain of in-season tomatillos inspired me to make Pozole Verde with Pumpkin Seed Mole. Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup made with chewy hominy (puffed corn). The broth can either be red or green. The red variety is made with dried red chilies, and the green (verde) is made with tomatillos and green chilies. I have combined the best aspects of a few recipes to create a delicious vegetarian version: roasting veg instead of blanching, and taking it to the next level by enriching the broth with a green pumpkin seed mole. […] - [Summer Cherry Herb Grain Bowl](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/salads/summer-cherry-herb-grain-bowl/): This Summer Cherry Herb Grain Bowl is a fresh, savory way to eat cherries in season. It’s packed with three bunches of herbs and is light and fragrant, perfect for summer. It’s inspired by a cherry recipe from the Honey & Co. at Home cookbook, but I made a few changes: I used farro instead of freekeh, and hazelnuts instead of pistachios. When I ate leftovers at work, a colleague stopped by the room and exclaimed, “Wow, that smells amazing!” you may also like… - [Fresh Cherry Upside-Down Cake](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/desserts/fresh-cherry-upside-down-cake/): This is a delicious way to use seasonal cherries. I was contemplating how to use cherries from the local Persian market, knowing I could enjoy them plain, but also wondering if I could incorporate them into a cake for a dinner with friends. I decided to create a fresh cherry upside-down cake version of my favorite Lemon Rosemary Olive Oil Cake. Generally for upside-down cakes, you pour something sticky into the bottom of the cake pan, layer fruit on top, then pour the cake batter over. Usually the sticky substance is brown sugar melted with butter, but I didn’t want […] - [Vegan Portuguese Caldo Verde with Cremini](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/soups/vegan-portuguese-caldo-verde-with-cremini/): This vegan Portuguese caldo verde with cremini is the first dish my Macanese boyfriend cooked for me: a vegan adaptation of his mother’s traditional caldo verde. It’s a simple potato and greens soup, but he thoughtfully substituted cremini mushrooms instead of linguica sausage. It’s so delicious! I often ask him to make it for me, especially when I’m sick. It’s rustic, garlicky, wholesome, and makes my body feel good. Being Macanese, his family moved from Portugal to the Macau-Hong Kong area about 600 years ago. While growing up, his mom cooked Macanese food, which became a hybrid of Portuguese and […] - [Spicy Roasted Tomato Salsa](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/starters/spicy-roasted-tomato-salsa/): I’m one of those people who prefers dark, roasted salsas instead of the raw pico de gallo styles. Actually my whole extended family has an aversion to the flavor of raw tomatoes. This spicy roasted tomato salsa is right up my alley, with complex flavor and enough heat to keep it interesting. In summer we go through so much salsa, for countless taco nights, breakfast burritos, or just chips & salsa after work. I have been using up my bounty of organic cherry tomatoes from my friend’s farm (The Vegetable Patch Reedley) in a variety of ways: Congolese Romaine Stew, […] - [My Secret Ingredient: Garlic Confit](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/my-secret-ingredient-garlic-confit/): Homemade garlic confit has become my secret ingredient for adding a delicate umami flavor to salad dressings, pizza, scrambled eggs, and a myriad of other dishes. It’s also fabulous in hummus. Garlic confit is not simply roasted garlic, which is also wonderful. To make confit, garlic cloves are roasted while submerged in a bath of olive oil together with thyme branches and bay leaves. When the garlic cloves are roasted in olive oil, you not only create heavenly roasted garlic, you also end up with liquid gold: a jar of mellow roasted garlic oil that can be used in countless […] - [Artichokes Baked with White Wine, Thyme & Lemons](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/starters/artichokes-baked-with-white-wine-thyme-lemons/): Simple steamed artichokes are wonderful, but these Artichokes Baked with White Wine, Thyme & Lemons are divine. Serve with a preserved lemon & ricotta dip for an impressive appetizer. This is a lovely recipe from Honey & Co. at Home: Middle Eastern Recipes from our Kitchen by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich, a cozy cookbook from two married Israeli chefs in London. The dipping sauce calls for preserved lemons, which can be found in any Middle Eastern market. Preserved lemons can also be used in marinades, stews, and various Middle Eastern recipe. If you cannot find preserved lemons, substitute with […] - [Mint Lemon Ravioli](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/mint-lemon-ravioli/): Growing up, I fondly remember making homemade wide pasta noodles with my grandma, taking turns to hand crank the pasta dough with the machine attached to the kitchen counter. These days when I make homemade pasta, we often make these Mint Lemon Ravioli. Mint is surprising here, as basil would have been my go-to herb for Italian dishes. The mint is delicate and fresh, and pairs well with the lemon. These are so delicious that friends have been known to lick their plates. Mint Lemon Ravioli is one of the first things my husband cooked for me when we started […] - [Smooth, Fluffy & Lemony Hummus](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/starters/smooth-fluffy-lemony-hummus/): I have tweaked and honed my hummus recipe for the last 20 years or so. In the past, I used to add all of the ingredients to the food processor at the same time and I used to be satisfied with that. Then I picked up a few tricks, combining techniques until I created a consistently smooth, fluffy, lemony hummus with an almost whipped texture. My friends and family can’t stop asking me about it. Many years ago when I posted about hummus on this blog, my major insight at the time was that a Palestinian friend taught me to […] - [My Vegan Mapo Tofu](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/my-vegan-mapo-tofu/): I remember eating in the Chengdu restaurant where mapo doufu (tofu) was invented. Summer of 2001, noisy, high ceilings, whitewashed walls, curt service. Perfectly complex, spicy lava of sauce surrounding slippery tofu, topped with numbing Sichuan peppercorns. I ate mapo tofu countless times while living in China, always pulling the waiter aside to chat and make sure they could make a veg version of it, without the sprinkling of pork, and also requesting extra Sichuan peppercorns on top (extra “ma”). While living in Nanjing, a Sichuanese friend taught me how to make a delicious vegan mapo tofu. His mother ran […] - [My Article: Layers of Loss & Love at our Ukrainian Dinner Party](https://twojadebowls.com/my-articles/my-article-on-our-ukrainian-dinner-party/): I recently wrote an article reflecting on grief, loss, memory, and joy all present at a recent dinner party fundraiser for Ukraine support. Read the full article here. Consider donating, especially with friends over a meal. Try my grandma’s recipe for Ukrainian Crepes. you might also like … - [Grandma's Ukrainian Crepes](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/breakfast/grandmas-ukrainian-crepes/): Last week friends joined me to cook some Ukrainian recipes and donate together to Mennonite Central Committee’s Ukrainian emergency kits. While I’m not Ukrainian, my branch of the Mennonite diaspora spent about 100 years in Ukraine in the 1800s and many of my grandma’s recipes are Ukrainian. The Ukrainian dish I make most often are Grandma’s crepes. She routinely made them for weekend breakfasts, especially if family was visiting. At our recent dinner party, we made them for dessert, rolled and filled with my parents’ homemade lemon curd and strawberries stewed with cardamom. Note that I use oatmilk instead of […] - [Turmeric Spice Granola](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/breakfast/turmeric-spice-granola/): I spent this quiet Sunday playing board games, the perfect time for baking a batch of granola in the background. For the last several years, my granola style has been inspired from Amy Chaplin’s Whole Food Cooking Every Day. I love that she uses brown rice syrup for a hint of sweetness without being overtly sweet. Brown rice syrup has a lower glycemic index than sugar, so it’s good for people watching their sugar intake. Riffing on her recipe countless times, I omit her raw buckwheat addition, which is too hard on my teeth. I sub extra oats instead. If […] - [Ginger-Turmeric Golden Broth](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/soups/ginger-turmeric-golden-broth/): A healing, vibrant broth to be used in a myriad of ways. Recently, it’s the only broth I’ve used for wonton soup, congee, noodle soup, and egg drop soup. I’ve been craving this broth almost every day. The aggressive amount of ginger is dazzling, and the turmeric makes the broth glow yellow in the bowl. It calls for a full 2-ounces of ginger, half of it minced, half sliced paper-thin. That looks like an intimidating amount of ginger, but if you’re feeling sluggish or are trying to recover from to much processed food, coffee, alcohol, or sugar, this might feel […] - [Triple Sec Shortbread](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/desserts/triple-sec-shortbread/): This might be my new favorite cookie. Decadent orange-scented shortbread infused with triple sec, orange zest, and vanilla, topped with slivered almonds. Every bite makes me pause. They’re too delicious. I’m sharing the recipe here, hoping you might have time to make this triple sec shortbread before Christmas. The inspiration comes from the Sarah Kieffer’s cookbook 100 Cookies. She stamps her version into circles, but as it’s the holidays, I used star and pine tree cookie cutters. I highly recommend using higher quality Irish or French butter here. You will notice the difference. It’s also your choice how thin to […] - [Baked Halloumi with Mint and Sumac](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/baked-halloumi-with-mint-and-sumac/): Halloumi is a salty, firm cheese from Cyprus that holds its shape when grilled. In this easy but impressive appetizer, halloumi is marinated briefly with mint and purple, lemony sumac, then baked before served with lemon wedges. The spectrum of salty, herby and sour flavors hit all the right notes, surprising and delighting everyone I’ve served it to. This has become a go-to appetizer in the last few months as vaccinated friends have started to gather again. I loved halloumi in various forms when I spent a summer in Lebanon in 2009. This version is inspired by a recipe from […] - [Vietnamese Fresh Rolls](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/vietnamese-fresh-rolls/): Today a warm, sunny Saturday called for a lighter lunch. I make variations of these Vietnamese fresh rolls on regular rotation, experimenting with fillings and dipping sauces – always balancing textures (crunchy vs. soft) and flavors (herby vs. umami). Today’s version is my favorite, filled with fresh mint, basil & lettuce, crunchy peanuts and carrots, and umami seared marinated tofu and garlicky mushrooms. When I’m in a rush I just slice and panfry tofu for the rolls, but when I want extra flavor, I marinate the using the method from Anna Jones’ cookbook A Modern Cook’s Year, helping to layer […] - [Miso Cacio E Pepe](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/miso-cacio-e-pepe/): This fusion concept of Miso Cacio e Pepe comes from Hetty McKinnon’s new modern Asian cookbook, To Asia With Love. It’s a genius idea to use to miso to create an umami-rich sauce that’s lighter than the Italian original. Hetty uses udon in her version, but I used the noodles we had on hand, long fusilli strands, which are hollow like bucatini but crimped like a perm. This is a new family favorite – easy, richly flavorful, while not heavy. I added seared broccolini for some greenery. To reduce the dairy, I used vegan butter instead of regular butter. I […] - [Lemon Rosemary Olive Oil Cake](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/lemon-rosemary-olive-oil-cake/): I love single-layer unfrosted cakes with interesting flavors. This has become a favorite in the last few years, a complex, bright, moist cake that’s easy to make in a springform pan. The rosemary takes it over the top, compelling friends to ask what’s special in there. You could easily double the recipe for a layered birthday cake. Lemon curd would be fabulous as a filling between layers. This recipe originally appeared as an orange cake in Hetty McKinnon’s cookbook Family: New Vegetarian Comfort Food to Nourish Every Day, one of my most commonly used cookbooks for easy, healthy, interesting dishes. […] - [Celery Peanut Wontons](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/comfort/celery-peanut-wontons/): Over the last year this has become my go-to wonton filling. Celery is a classic pairing with peanuts or other nuts. Think celery sticks with peanut butter. In China, celery is often stir-fried with walnuts or cashews, one of my favorite Nanjing dishes. The lightness and freshness of celery is a refreshing counterpoint to the richness of the peanuts. Meera Sodha, the Guardian food writer created a lovely wonton filling based on this pairing in her useful book, East. Once I tried it, I was hooked. We make all kinds of dumplings on regular rotation in my home, and this […] - [Coconut Baked Oatmeal with Fruit](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/coconut-baked-oatmeal-with-fruit/): This is an easy, foolproof brunch dish that doubles as a healthy dessert. I’ve been eager to post this recipe because it’s a flexible pantry-friendly recipe that could work with most fruits you have on hand. If you have oats, coconut milk, baking powder, one egg and some fruit, you can make this. The recipe is easy and most of the ingredients are flexible. Swap butter for coconut oil. Swap something sweet for the maple syrup. Swap aquafaba for the egg. Skip the vanilla. Use any fruit. As a West-Coast Mennonite, I was aware that East-Coast/Midwest Mennonites had a habit […] - [Dishoom's Chole : Black Tea Chickpeas](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/dishooms-chole-black-tea-chickpeas/): Over the years, my favorite Indian chickpea recipe has been the lemony khatte chhole, (the most popular recipe on my blog.) In the last few months I’ve attempted to break out of my rut, experimenting with other Indian chickpea recipes. None excited me until I found a used copy of the beloved Dishoom cookbook. Dishoom’s chole recipe swept me away. The chickpeas simmer in strong black tea and steep for hours, which gives the dish a deep warmth and fragrance. I am hooked. If you haven’t seen the Dishoom cookbook yet, I highly recommend it. There are many good cookbooks […] - [Quarantine Favorite: Andrea Nguyen's Vietnamese Vegetable Soup](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/andrea-nguyens-vietnamese-vegetable-soup/): I’ve been enjoying Andrea Nguyen’s newest cookbook Vietnamese Food Any Day. Her Vietmanese Vegetable Soup has actually become my favorite soup in the last several months, especially during the Lunar New Year month when I repeatedly used a simplified version of it as a wonton broth. However, I find I’m making this soup even more often now during quarantine, about twice a week. As the name suggests, this soup is extremely versatile. I switch the veg in and out based on what I have in the fridge (especially now in Corona-Days) but I also change things around inspired by my […] - [Chinese Pear Soup for Lung Health](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/chinese-pear-soup-for-lung-health/): In this period of Covid-19 self quarantining, I thought I’d share a simple Chinese recipe for pear soup for lung health. According to traditional Chinese medicine, pears are good for your lungs. Covid-19 attacks the lungs, so right now we especially need to keep our lungs healthy. Once in Nanjing when I was sick, a good friend came to my home to cook this pear soup for me. This week when I remembered the soup, I googled “pear lungs” to see if I was crazy, and a long list of articles appeared that argue for the link between pears and […] - [Mashi = Chinese Rolled Shell Pasta](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/soups/mashi-chinese-rolled-shell-pasta/): Today on New Year’s Day, a group of my students from Sha’anxi province came over to cook mashi (pronounced mah-shihr). Mashi are the small shell-shaped rolled pasta from Sha’anxi province.  Because mashi is made with a stiff dough, the end result has a pleasing dense, chewy texture.  It makes a substantial vegetable soup for winter.  I had visited all of these students last summer on my travels, and since that trip, we sometimes get together to cook northwestern Chinese dishes. Mashi come from Sha’anxi province in northwest China, where the cuisine revolves around wheat dough.  Most Chinese noodles are long […] - [Vegetarian Shaomai](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/vegetarian-shaomai/): I've grown to love shaomai, the little folded bulbs filled with sticky rice, mushrooms, and soy sauce. However, it's almost impossible finding them vegetarian because they traditionally have a bit of minced meat in the filling. The only place I can get meatless ones in Nanjing is at a Buddhist Temple, Jimingsi. I have to travel about an hour and a half across town, and then climb to the top of a hill to arrive at the temple's café which overlooks the city wall and Xuanxu Lake. It's a lovely setting to enjoy a few shaomai, but this trek doesn't make it an easy snack for me. - [Vegetarian Zha Jiang Mian](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/vegetarian-zha-jiang-mian/): Zhajiang Mian is a famous noodle dish across northeastern China as well as South Korea. I learned to make Vegetarian Zha Jiang Mian several years ago from a former student from Henan province.  She’s a great cook, and intuitively adjusted the recipe to make it vegetarian for me. Scrambled eggs mixed with tofu were her authentic vegetarian swaps. In the US you can utilize Beyond Meat or another plant-based meat instead of the tofu and/or eggs. Note that this is Henan province style, and is lighter in color that the famous very dark Korean Zha Jiang Mian. Soon after I […] - [Noodle Lessons in Nanjing](https://twojadebowls.com/food-focused-travelogues/noodle-lessons-in-nanjing/): When I moved to Nanjing two and a half years ago, I had a dream of befriending some folks at a noodle shop who would teach me how to pull noodles. I thought that would be a useful and fun hobby.  Back when I lived in China from 2000-2002, I took lessons from a chef who taught me how to carve fruit and vegetables into decorative flower and animal shapes.  That was a fun and quirky skill, but not especially practical.  I hoped this time around living in China I could learn to  make Chinese noodles instead. During my first […] - [Homemade Fensi Noodles in Wenzhou](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/homemade-fensi-noodles-in-wenzhou/): This fall I spent 5 days with a student’s family in Wenzhou county, along the southern coast of Zhejiang province. Here’s the story of how I learned how to make homemade fensi noodles in Wenzhou. They live in Yongjia village just across the river from Wenzhou city.  Every morning I drank coffee on the 4th floor balcony looking out at the small community farm next to their home. My student’s parents are retired, and spend their free time growing a variety of vegetables in their little plot in the community garden next to their building.  Here my student’s mom is […] - [Icy Harbin: Two Weeks in a North Korean-Chinese Home](https://twojadebowls.com/food-focused-travelogues/icy-harbin-two-weeks-in-a-north-korean-chinese-home/): Last winter I spent two weeks in Harbin, a northeastern Chinese city near the Russian border.  I lived in my friend’s home for those weeks and celebrated Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) with her family.  My friend recently graduated from the Master’s program at my school in Nanjing.  When she lived here, she had become one of my best friends in Nanjing, so she invited me to travel north to celebrate the holiday with her family.  She is ethnically Korean, from a family who came to China from what is now North Korea a few generations ago, before the Korean […] - [A Pilgrimage Back to my Three Gorges Home After 11 Years](https://twojadebowls.com/food-focused-travelogues/pilgrimage-back-to-the-three-gorges/): Last summer I made a pilgrimage back to the Three Gorges area, where I used to live for two years before the region was flooded by the Three Gorges Dam. - [Where Tea is Oil Soup and Bridges are Art](https://twojadebowls.com/food-focused-travelogues/where-tea-is-oil-soup-and-bridges-are-art/): Last summer I spent two weeks visiting students in Guangxi Autonomous Region in Southern China.  My last stop was a few days in the home of my student from the Dong ethnic minority, in Sanjiang County.  The Dong are one of the smallest minority groups in China, and they are known for their intricate wooden architecture and their picturesque villages tucked away in this mountainous corner of northern Guangxi, near the border of Guizhou, where tea is oil soup and bridges are art. Adventurous backpackers pass through to admire the old covered wooden bridges and stunning drum towers.  Most villages are adjacent to a river, and in the Dong […] - [A Surprising Tradition: a Corn Culture in Debao County, Guangxi](https://twojadebowls.com/food-focused-travelogues/a-surprising-tradition-a-corn-culture-in-debao/): In my travels in southwest China, I found a surprising tradition: a corn culture in Debao County, Guangxi. I discovered unique uses of corn in a remote corner of the country. Last summer I designed a learning tour for myself, and spent 3 weeks in Guangxi and Guangdong provinces in southern China, living in my students’ homes.  I spent a week in Debao County, Guangxi province, a remote mountainous region near the Vietnamese border.  Living in China, I have been told over and over again that Chinese cuisine has a north south divide along the line of the preferred starch at the table.  It’s wheat in the north and rice in the south.  In northern China, people eat more more wheat-based foods like dumplings, […] - [Traditional Tofu-Making Experience in Debao, Guangxi](https://twojadebowls.com/food-focused-travelogues/traditional-tofu-making-experience-in-debao-guangxi/): This summer I spent 3 weeks in Guangxi and Guangdong provinces visiting some of my students.   One of the places I visited was Debao County, a remote mountainous region in Guangxi near the Vietnamese border.  While in Debao County, my student took me to Du’an Village for the day to learn the traditional method for making tofu. Here’s a glimpse into my traditional tofu-making experience. Debao County is known for excellent homemade tofu.  Debao people regard mass-produced tofu (what the rest of us eat) as “fake tofu.”  Only homemade tofu is considered “real tofu” and most people only eat […] - [Making Bamboo Rice in Debao, Guangxi](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/making-bamboo-rice-in-debao-guangxi/): This summer I spent 3 weeks in Guangxi and Guangdong provinces visiting some of my students.   One of the places I visited in Guangxi was Debao County, a remote mountainous region near the Vietnamese border. While in Debao, one of my student’s friends wanted to teach me how to make bamboo rice, which is the method of cooking sticky rice in bamboo poles over an outdoor fire.  Because it is a slow process, this is normally something that children in Debao do for fun.  Adults generally don’t have the time or patience for it.  I guess in this region […] - [Juan Tong Fen -- Rice Rolls in Debao, Guangxi Province](https://twojadebowls.com/food-focused-travelogues/juan-tong-fen-rice-rolls-in-debao-guangxi-province/): This summer I spent 3 weeks in Guangxi and Guangdong provinces visiting my students’ homes.  It was a sort of learning tour for myself to learn about my students’ lives.   I spent a week in Debao county, Guangxi province, which is a remote mountainous region near the Vietnamese border.  The mountains are the same kind of vertical karst mountains that are so famous in Guilin, but tourists don’t visit Debao because the region is so remote.  The first roads in the area were built 20 years ago, and in some villages only 10 years ago. Debao county also isn’t on […] - [Eating at Bangkok's Chattuchak Weekend Market](https://twojadebowls.com/food-focused-travelogues/eating-at-bangkoks-chattuchak-weekend-market/): I spent a month in Thailand during my holiday for the Chinese New Year. When in Bangkok, I was determined to visit the Chattuchak Weekend Market, also called Jattujak, or “JJ.”  The market attracts about 200,000 visitors each weekend, and seems to the be the size of a small town.  Stalls sell everything from traditional handcrafts to hipster fashion labels to exotic pets.  I bought several blouses at a stall that sold used clothing from Japan.  Food stalls are strewn throughout the market, and there are also a few larger food areas. It was so incredibly hot that day, and I think […] - [Falling in Love with Issan Street Food Carts in Thailand](https://twojadebowls.com/food-focused-travelogues/issan-street-food-carts-in-thailand/): I spent a month in Thailand during my holiday for the Chinese New Year. I fell in love with Issan street food carts.  Issan is a northeast region of Thailand, bordering Cambodia.  The weather is super-hot, so the cuisine is based on salads and refreshing lime and chile flavor profiles. This is one the most famous Issan dishes, the green papaya salad.  It has a lime-chili salad dressing, and is garnished with peanuts. This Issan lunch cart on Koh Tao island made phenomenal food.  It’s where the locals in the neighborhood came to eat. This green papaya salad on Koh […] - [Pad Thai Across Thailand](https://twojadebowls.com/food-focused-travelogues/pad-thai-across-thailand/): I spent a month in Thailand during my holiday for the Chinese New Year. Pad Thai is an cheap, delicious meal, and I happily ate it several times during my month-long trip.  Lime, garlic, peanuts, tofu… what’s not to love? Pad Thai is worlds better in Thailand than it is in the states where it tends to be sweet drenched in an orange colored glaze.  In Thailand Pad Thai is actually more similar to pad see ew plus peanuts. I downloaded an e-guide for eating vegetarian in Thailand, which had some helpful phrases for ordering food without fish sauce or […] - [Eating in Pahurat, Bangkok's Little India](https://twojadebowls.com/food-focused-travelogues/eating-in-pahurat-bangkoks-little-india/): I spent in a month in Thailand during my break for Chinese New Year. While doing research on where to eat in Bangkok’s Little India, called Pahurat, I came across this post about a cafe in Pahurat called Toney’s.  The food blogger said it was a little tricky to find because it’s out in the middle of an alley, but utterly delicious and cheap. When we found the cafe, there was no sign for the restaurant, but I recognized it easily from the blogger’s video.  The menu had the name “Toney’s” and confirmed that we were in the right place. […] - [Noodles in my Nanjing Neighborhood](https://twojadebowls.com/food-focused-travelogues/noodles-in-my-nanjing-neighborhood/): I live in Nanjing now, where I teach at Nanjing Union Theological Seminary.  I apologize for not being active on my blog since I moved here in August.  I’ve been eating well and cooking well, but I haven’t been writing about it.  I promise to do a better job of sharing my meals with you! One thing I love about eating in Nanjing is the variety of noodle cafes in my neighborhood.  I live in the Jiangning university district, which means that many of the restaurants are cheaper because they cater to the thousands and thousands of students who live […] - [German Beet Salad](https://twojadebowls.com/recipes/salads/german-beet-salad/): This German Beet Salad is simple and refreshing.  It’s easy to pull together as a colorful side dish. The beets are roasted with skins on, then peeled and tossed with sherry vinegar, olive oil, caraway and mustard seeds. The quantities are flexible. Taste for seasonings. You may also like… ## Pages - [Home](https://twojadebowls.com/): Food lovers unite. I’ve been a vegetarian for 28 years, and come from a family who are passionate about cooking and collecting cookbooks. My 8.5 years living in China broadened my cooking range, as I was often cooking with Chinese friends and their families in their homes across the country. Cooking is a joy, a way to evoke memories of friends and places. Meet Me Seasonal recipes for you to try Top picks for you to try Latest Recipes. My top sweet picks for you to try - [About](https://twojadebowls.com/about/): Hi. I’m Kate. I’ve been a vegetarian for 28 years, and come from a family who are passionate about cooking and collecting cookbooks. My growing cookbook collection is over 200. I absolutely love sitting on the couch with a stack of cookbooks to dream about what I’m going to cook for the upcoming week. My 8.5 years of living in China intensified my passion for cooking and broadened my cooking scope. I taught at the national seminary in Nanjing, and my students often invited me to travel across the country to stay in their homes and cook with their families. […] [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)