Salsa Blanca
This sauce might strike some of you as a bit strange. In fact, it will likely strike almost all of you as a bit strange. When I first discovered what was actually in it, even I, a lifelong consumer of this sauce, found it quite …
Sides/Appetizers
The Plate Lunch (Huli Huli Chicken and Mac Salad)
The plate lunch is as Hawaiian as it gets. You can find them all over the place, and they always have the same formula: a meat, two scoops of rice, and one scoop of macaroni salad. Common meats include Hawaiian favorites like kalua pork, huli …
Spam Musubi
Spam Musubi is one of those dishes that could only come about in Hawaii. It stands as an example of exactly what is so interesting, comforting, and delicious about Hawaiian food. In Hawaii, spam is a highly regarded food. Oahu is home to that famous …
How to: Cook Perfect Rice Every Time
There was a long period of my life where I was afraid to delve into Asian cuisines. It was not the strange ingredients or new flavors, no–it was simple ineptitude at cooking rice that kept me from exploring these amazing foods. Whenever I tried to …
Cháo – Vietnamese Rice Soup
In its simplest form, cháo (Vietnamese rice soup) is a soup made with broth, rice, and maybe a few pieces of ginger and scallion. I’ve heard it referred to as the Vietnamese equivalent to chicken noodle soup, and the similarities are certainly there: it is …
Scallion Pancakes
Scallion Pancakes are thin, crispy pancakes stuffed with scallions and dipped in a sauce of soy, vinegar, and chili oil. Unlike western pancakes, which are made with batter, these are instead typically made with an unleavened wheat dough, folded through with scallions and fried to …
Gỏi cuốn – Vietnamese Salad Rolls
Variously known as spring rolls, salad rolls, and summer rolls, you are likely familiar with this delicious Vietnamese appetizer made of shrimp, vermicelli noodles, and fresh herbs bundled up in a rice paper and dipped in that perfect dipping sauce, nước chấm. It is hard …
The Best Guacamole You’ve Ever Had
I would guess that just about everyone clicking through to this recipe has made guacamole before. It is very simple and very difficult to mess up. Mash up some avocados with onions, garlic, tomatoes, lime, and salt. Simple and wonderful. But what if I told …
Elotes, or Mexican Street Corn
In reality, elote translates to corn on the cob, but it has also come to refer to this dish of grilled corn slathered in a tangy, spicy sauce and sprinkled with salty cheese. This dish is also referred to as Mexican street corn, as it …
Three Pepper Bruschetta
This recipe is adapted from a dish served at our favorite Italian restaurant in Boulder, which is no longer in operation, Via Perla. When they were still open, they had the best happy hour deal in town: a bottle of wine and an appetizer for …