Wu tao gou, or taro cakes, are a classic for Chinese New Year and also at dim sum! Gou (or "cake" in Chinese) sounds like the word for "higher", hence why many people eat taro cakes, sweet rice cakes (lin gou), or radish cake (lo bak gou) for the new year to wish for bigger and better things and set high expectations!
Taro is a starchy root vegetable- once cooked, it has a similar texture to a potato. A lot of people might be familiar with taro bubble tea, the bright purple drink, but taro can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Here, it's cooked with Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, and spices, steamed in the Instant Pot to make it easy, and then pan-fried to make the perfect breakfast or (anytime) snack!
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Risotto is one of those things that I used to think that I could only get at restaurants- creamy, flavorful, potentially expensive if it includes seafood...until I learned how to make it! You can find arborio rice at a lot of grocery stores or online, and it pairs well with a lot of meats or veggies like steak, shrimp, or pumpkin, mushrooms, etc.! It also pairs well with flavors like truffle- thanks to OMG Gourmet for sending this White Truffle oil to try! I added some into my risotto and you can also drizzle some on top because a little goes a long way!
I'm currently doing a giveaway with them here, so check it out if you'd like to win your own bottle to try or try a new olive oil or balsamic vinegar! The holidays may look different this year, but everyone can always do with a warm, comforting meal! I made these easy chicken enchiladas for my family with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce from La Morena!
La Morena peppers are hand-selected and prepared, plus they're the highest quality peppers available, so you get a delicious smoky and spicy flavor even just opening the container up! If you're looking for a spicy, cozy dish, this is for you! This holiday season, I'm trying to highlight local businesses in Boston! A lot of these businesses have online ordering and shipping/delivery for their products so you can #shoplocal and give some amazing gifts to friends and family! And even if they don't sell products, consider purchasing gift cards to your favorite local businesses and restaurants as well to support them! Macarons from Maca
I have been sharing tons of resources on my Instagram for the Black Lives Matter movement and ways in which you can support, through attending protests, donating to organizations, educating yourself, and supporting Black-owned businesses and restaurants. So I've created a list of Black-owned restaurants for those of us in the suburbs & a little farther out from Greater Boston to support! Restaurants marked with a (*) are currently open for takeout/delivery or have products being sold online/in other stores, but as restaurants are moving towards outdoor dining, please check out their websites/social media for any updates on openings!
I've focused on the Norfolk & Middlesex counties and the towns more local to myself because there are many lists for Boston proper going around already like this one by Nail the Cocktail. This is definitely by no means a comprehensive list because I wanted to get the information that I have out there so people can start supporting immediately, so please feel free to leave me any additional suburb/Greater Boston recommendations and I will update my post/share comments! (Italicized entries are new!) I will also be adding my findings to bit.ly/BlackOwnedFood, which is crowdsourced, more comprehensive, and has many different lists sorted by state/city, so please check out that document as a resource. You know you've made it when your Asian mom says "Mmm...not too sweet" in approval! I made this carrot cake for my mom on Mother's Day and swapped the typical cream cheese frosting for chocolate ganache because she loves chocolate. It's actually a delicious combo! I decorated the cake with fresh whipped cream, strawberries, walnuts, and stroopwafel pieces, but it's one of those cakes that will look great even kept very simple!
Coffee creamer is not just for coffee anymore!
I used Coconut Cloud Coconut Milk Creamer, which is 100% dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and non-GMO, in my coffee, which gave it a nice creamy texture with just a light coconut flavor! The creamer is unsweetened, so you can always add more for more of that texture or flavor, and then adjust the sweetness to your liking. Coconut Cloud also states that their creamer can used as a replacement for coconut milk in recipes! This is perfect for times like these when you might not always have fresh milk or coconut milk on hand, but if you are a big coffee drinker, you'll always have creamer to add to your coffee! So I used Coconut Cloud Original Coconut Milk Creamer (they have other flavors too!) to make this refreshing Coconut Milk Pudding! It's reminiscent of panna cotta, but a bit lighter since it doesn't have heavy cream, so it's definitely healthier and you can easily make it vegan by substituting the gelatin with agar agar. I'm so excited to be giving away one Jo Chef Professional Kitchen Torch! Read until the bottom to see the giveaway details!
The Jo Chef torch is super easy to use. It comes with really clear instructions and a nice free silicon pot holder too! You just take it off the stand and fill it with butane in the little hole at the bottom. Figuring out how to fill it with gas was the hardest part, and I recommend thoroughly reading the instructions for this part, but this will depend on the type/size/brand of butane that you use. Once you have added the gas, you turn the red knob until you can hear the gas and then click the red button to ignite. You can turn the knob to change the intensity of the flame. This may take a little practice if you're not comfortable with fire, but it cooks things very quickly and efficiently. And you can easily refill the gas through the hole at the bottom as needed! Once you get used to the flame, you can use the torch to easily brown brulees, sear meats, and roast veggies! I used mine to make this easy s'mores dip with chocolate chips, marshmallows, and graham crackers. One of my favorite snacks (or meals, really) is a charcuterie platter. Charcuterie is a French word that refers to the meat products, like cured meats, sausages, salame, ham, etc. But charcuterie boards often include other items like cheeses, crackers, bread, spreads, nuts, pickles, fresh veggies, or fresh fruits.
When I was in Paris over the summer with my friend, we made a lot of charcuterie boards as our meals. It allowed us to snack and eat as much or as little as we wanted to (like if we were still adjusting to the time difference), it gave us a chance to taste local ingredients and produce at fairly cheap prices, and it was easy, as fancy as we wanted, and good for any time of the day. Plus, it paired well with a glass of wine for dinner! (See 3 of our boards below- and yes, you can make them on a simple dinner plate too!) I've partnered with Gorton's Seafood to feature their new Natural Catch Grilled Salmon, which is 100% sustainably wild-caught, char-grilled, and free of any artificial and GMO ingredients. It doesn't take too long to cook, so it's perfect for weekday dinners, meal prep, or really, any occasion!
I paired it with this adorable pumpkin-shaped pasta that I found at Marshalls (serious fall vibes) just in time for World Pasta Day! I definitely will take any excuse to eat more pasta! |
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