Nothing says summer like grilled corn and to add some Vietnamese flair, I slathered it in a seasoned mayo cream and garnished it with mỡ hành, a popular Vietnamese relish made by lightly frying scallions in oil aka “scallion fat”, fresh cilantro, black pepper, and a dusting of parmesan cheese and smoked paprika.

I just picked up my Asian CSA yesterday and I was so excited to see okra on the list! Okra, aka lady fingers, contain pods that are “mucilaginous,” which results in a super slimy texture when cooked.

This “mucilage” or slime is a debatable matter. Some folks either enjoy this gooey texture and others just hate it for that same reason.

Click through for the recipe and to learn how to make this dish super slimy!

Squid 🦑 Games… Part I: cooking with Squid!

This was one of my favorite vegetables growing up and my dad grew these along with many other types of asian squashes since they were harder to find.

Luffa or loofah (botanically Luffa aegyptiaca) is a vine-grown member of the pumpkin, squash and gourd family. Click link on how to cook this comfort veggie dish!

Has anyone else cook with these before?

Tatsoi is an Asian variety of Brassica rapa grown for greens and is also called “tat choy”, which sounds like and is related to it’s sister greens, Bok Choy.

I like cooking bok choy with bean sprouts so I used the same recipe here. Tatsoi greens along with garlic and bean sprouts are sautéed in a flavorful ginger soy sauce.

Dưa món is simply translated as dried vegetables preserved in fish sauce. Traditionally carrots and daikon radish are used but other popular vegetables are used like Vietnamese leeks, lotus root, kohlrabi and/or green papaya. These extra crunchy pickles are served with Vietnamese Mung Bean cakes (aka Banh Chung) during Tet / Lunar New Year.

These savory and tasty green beans were super easy to make with just a few pantry staples from your kitchen!I just quickly blanched some fresh green beans, ice dunked them, then tossed them in little sesame oil, garnished them with Thai red chili peppers (I ordered these online at @umamicart), toasted sesame seeds, and minced garlic and then dressed it with some light soy sauce.For the finishing touch- I drizzled some smoking tea seed oil for that HOT SIZZLE!

See post for recipe!

I can’t believe Thanksgiving is just a couple days away and we’re going to be celebrating it Friendsgiving style with a few of our closest friends! With the help with YouYou this year we’ll be doing a few things with an asian spin, because why not?

Crispy Air Fried Balsamic & Soy Sauced Brussel Sprouts

These bad boys only take less than 30 min total from prep time to final cooking. Click over for the recipe!

Pickled chilies are a Vietnamese favorite and they're used to enhance flavor and add some crunchy, sweet & sour heat to many soups, fried noodles and other dishes. Click to find out how to make this crisp and tangy favorite!

Up your SQUID GAME!

It’s perfect for the fall season because of its stew-like soupiness! The fragrance of soft aromatic perilla imparts a warm lemon and mint fragrance to the broth and air. Pork belly or pork bones are seasoned with curry powder and turmeric which adds that beautiful orange glow around the soups edge and gives it that sweet and savory taste.

Bitter Melon (aka bitter gourd) is called “muop dang” or “kho qua” in Vietnamese. They call it bitter melon because it’s quite bitter and can be an acquired taste for some. In Vietnamese cuisine, it’s often cooked with other ingredients to offset it's bitter punch.

I often think it’s almost a right of passage and knowing that you’ve crossed over to an Vietnamese adult lol. A popular dish to cook bitter melon in Vietnam is with eggs so today we’ll be making stir fried eggs with bitter melon! Read on to learn a few tricks to avoid overly bitter bitter melon!

These blanched spinach like greens along with fresh ripe tomatoes and red onions are tossed with a savory sweet & tart fish sauce vinaigrette. This simple salad is made in many Filipino homes. Talbos ng kamote / kamote tops aka sweet potato leaves are native plants in the Philippines and they’re super nutrient dense.

Why didn’t I know about this leaf sooner? It’s so delicious and full of all the good stuff! These delicious spinach like leaves are known in asian cultures as the “queen of vegetables” and the “longevity vegetable” and are touted to be anti-cancer greens.

I received this along with a bunch of other asian herbs, vegetables, and greens as part of my CSA share that I posted the other day.