How anti-Asian sentiment has exploded, but the East has made some of your favorite things.

It would be impossible for us to claim we’re all about good living, love, or being the best you can be, and then go silent when uncomfortable things and injustices take place. This past year has become an inflection point for so many things. Political upheaval, social injustice, healthcare, our economy, and all of this just scratches the surface.

In Vietnamese this is known as Mỡ Hành. This simple garnish is simply made with lightly fried green scallions and is often served with traditional Vietnamese dishes.

Vietnamese shaking beef, steak tips, steak salad aka Thit Bo Luc Lac!We didn’t have much steak growing up but this Vietnamese steak 🥩 salad was something I always loved! They call it shaking beef because you chop up top sirloin in 1” cubes and shake it in a pan until it’s nice and dark around the edges.

Growing up my mom enjoyed cooking Italian foods while my father did all the Vietnamese foods. These meatless “meat”-balls are amazing and tastes just as good if not even better than real meatballs. It doesn’t seem like it now but I was a vegetarian for over 10 years so I love a good plant based meal every once in a while!

Today after 15 days of reminiscent childhood foods and good feastings, Lunar New Year celebrations officially come to an end.Pictured above is Bánh Chưng, a traditional Vietnamese food eaten during Lunar New Year (Tết) 🇻🇳 and is made from glutinous rice (aka sticky rice), mung beans, pork belly that is tightly wrapped in aromatic phrynium or banana leaves.

Listen to our recent interview for OUT Radio on Radio Kingston. OUT radio features LGBTQ advocacy groups, personal stories from people in our community, upcoming local and national events, and music from LGBTQ musicians.

It isn’t enough for a drink to simply taste great anymore. The entire beverage market is moving toward functionality. Consumers not only desire but expect that what they put into their bodies should benefit them in a myriad of ways. Philippe Trinh and Julian Lesser, owners of the Hudson Valley's Seek North Kombucha, recognized this trend and have strived to concoct drinks with incredible flavor — and a work ethic of their own.

This is popular traditional Vietnamese dish, bún thịt nướng, is a tasty combination of grilled pork, vermicelli rice noodles, fresh veggies & herbs, and serviced with a side of fish dipping sauce, Nuoc Mam Cham.

The secret here is the honey in the pork. It adds a touch of sweetness and helps caramelize the pork.

Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa is a Japanese celebrity chef and restaurateur known for his unique fusion of tradition Japanese with Peruvian twists.

Two of his signature dishes at the popular NOBU restaurants are the miso black cod and miso eggplant. The semi-sweet and super savory miso sauce glaze is marinated on black cod and eggplants then broiled to golden perfection.

Philippe and Julian have been together for over 15 years, and they probably work so well together because they both have a serial drive to follow their hearts no matter what. While it might have culminated in your favorite kombucha, that’s not where it started.

Bánh Xèo - This Vietnamese favorite and celebrated during Lunar New Year is simply translated as a “sizzling cake" which refers to the sizzling sound when the crepe is cooking.

Bánh cam or bánh rán in Vietnamese is one of the most famous and beloved Vietnamese desserts.

This Tet/New Year’s special is definitely on the richer side being that it is deep fried. The outer shell is comprised of a glutinous rice wrapped with sesame seeds which makes it crispy and chewy and the inside is deliciously moist filled with sweet mung beans & coconut flakes.