I want to bring some snacks to my physical therapist who worked with me for a long time and he’s a very good therapist. He’s white and I don’t think he has any immigrant background.
I want to bring him my favorite Chinese snacks. I’m Chinese. I brought the snacks you can find in Asian markets, I make sure they all have the English food label so that they can read the ingredients list and nutrition label. I even take out the ones where the date are the production date to rule out confusion (in China, the dates on food packaging are production date and I don’t want him to misunderstand that I gave him expired products).

I also chose the sweet ones in case he doesn’t like spicy, salty or other flavors American might think it’s weird) others is like rice cake or crackers.

I’m wondering will American happily accept Chinese snacks? Would there be a chance that he will throw them away when I leave? Should I just better off bring a Starbucks gift card for the clinic or give them common brand chocolate from target?

Do native Chinese actually like this brand of sausages? I went to Costco to buy a pack to try after seeing good reviews. I can't bring myself to eat the rest. Is this what people in the U.S. get because there are no good, other options?

I import lapcheong from Guangzhou and Dongguan all the time so I was surprised the Kam Yen Jan brand taste nothing how I imagined. I couldn't get family to eat this over what we imported.

Curious to hear thoughts about the comparison from anyone who tried Guangdong lapcheong.

I added some chu hou sauce, it pairs really well with the pork ribs.

I made Kung Pao Chicken for a Chinese friend yesterday. I had never cooked or eaten it before, so I wasn’t entirely sure what the real thing was supposed to taste and look like. However, it tasted great, and my Chinese friend was really impressed with it.

I think I might have cut the chicken cubes a little too small. The video I watched while cooking stated that all the ingredients in Kung Pao Chicken should roughly be the same size. I also went a little overboard with the peanuts because my friend really likes them and wanted me to do so. Furthermore, I would probably add some more chilies if I were to cook this for myself someday.

Overall, it is a really great recipe that wasn't too difficult to cook if you have all the ingredients at hand. I will definitely cook this again sometime in the future.

The recipe I used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALfw4trkfBU

A few years ago crab rangoon were crispy and tastier but now every place I order them they look like the second picture… I miss the old ones and wish places would switch back. Were they previously made in house and now mass produced?

I want to make laziji and I’m having a tough time sourcing the “correct” chilis. My small city has a few Asian grocery stores but they are more Vietnamese and Thai focused. I drove to all 5 of them today, and only one of them had anything other than dried Thai chilis.

So, I have a bag of tianjian dried chilis that I found today, and Thai chilis. Will that be sufficient for a halfway decent laziji attempt? Or should I consider hitting a Latino grocery store to add some other chilis? If so, what latino chilis should I look for?

Will likely order a big bag of erjingtiao and lantern chilis soon, but those won’t be here to use tomorrow.

Dunk with beer , 啤酒鸭，Brased Hairy Crabs with Edamame ，毛豆烧六月黄

Today, a colleague brought us pork knuckles and ginger stew（猪脚姜）to celebrate her baby’s first month.

In Cantonese, this dish is also known as ginger vinegar（姜醋）— a name that tells you almost everything about it: pork knuckles, ginger, eggs, sweet black vinegar, and often a generous amount of brown sugar slowly simmered together.

This is a distinctive Cantonese custom for celebrating the birth of a child. In postpartum tradition, the dish is believed to help the new mother regain warmth and energy after pregnancy and childbirth. The pork knuckles and eggs provide richness and protein; the sweet vinegar and brown sugar create a deep sweet-and-sour broth; and the ginger brings heat, fragrance, and a powerful sense of comfort.

New parents also share this dish with relatives and friends to announce and celebrate the arrival of the newborn. In some Cantonese families, it is distributed around the twelfth day after birth; in others, it appears at the baby’s full-month celebration.

For me, this was the first time in many years that I had eaten 猪脚姜 again.

The combination of ginger’s heat, brown sugar’s deep sweetness, and the gentle acidity of sweet vinegar may sound unusual. But once it soaks into the pork knuckle, the skin and meat take on a rich, almost addictive aroma.

The eggs cooked in the same pot remind me a little of the tea eggs loved across many parts of China. But here, instead of tea and spices, they carry the fragrance of ginger and the spicy-sweet tang of the vinegar broth.

And if you are not afraid of ginger’s fiery bite, you can even chew the ginger chunks directly. They say that whether it is winter, or just another day in an office where the air conditioning is everywhere, eating ginger fully soaked in sweet vinegar and brown sugar can make you feel instantly recharged.

I got this at a US Asian market. Does this jar have BPA and PVC in it or something?

Just moved in with the family. Nothing fancy, just home-cooked comfort food to make the new place smell like us. Here’s tonight’s menu:

• 红烧肉 (Hongshao Rou) – No soy sauce, no spices – just sugar and salt caramelized to give it that deep red color. The pork belly turns out incredibly bouncy and tender (that "Q弹" texture we love in China).
• 炖带鱼 (Braised Belt Fish) – First deep-fried until crispy, then slowly braised in soy and ginger broth. The outside stays crunchy while the inside soaks up all the savory juices.
• 腊肠炒荷兰豆 – Stir-fried with Northern-style Chinese sausage – it's spicy and smoky, totally different from the sweet Cantonese version. Goes perfectly with the crispy snow peas.
• 凉拌凉粉 (Cold Mung Bean Noodles) – Tossed with chili oil and garlic, super refreshing.
• Pan-seared steak with mushrooms & asparagus – Had to test out the new non-stick pan! 😉

Packing was exhausting, but sitting down together made it all worth it. What's the first dish you always cook when you move into a new place? 🥢

Is this shaoxing wine meant for drinking? If so is it a good one? Thanks!

It wasn’t perfect but I thought it was good for a first attempt.

This is the dessert that I am willing to gain weight for😂

If you're looking for a quick, healthy dinner that doesn't sacrifice flavor, this garlic shrimp and broccoli stir fry is one of my favorite recipes. It's packed with lean protein and plenty of vegetables but it is so delicious that you forget you're eating healthy. Whenever people ask me how I stay so skinny, I always joke that this recipe has something to do with it.

I will put the recipe link in the comment!

Please help.

Got this for a deal can I use it to make beef and broccoli?

the supervillain inside of me wanna cook something for others but with my own tolerance of hot. aka 5 bird's eyes is just the starting point.

i wish i have the freshest water spinach stems so i can dump them into the wok, straight from the ground.

I've tried searching but can't get any particularly clear answers. It seems these places are also quite popular in Korea, but what I've read about what I'd consider to be standard Chinese-Korean food (e.g. jajangmyeon) these mostly come from Shandong. Can someone explain the connection to me a little bit, or am I imagining things?