zhajiangmian, zucchini destroyer

 

a surplus of zucchini from your garden or CSA? have no fear, this is the recipe for you.

We're reaching the end of summer and the twisting vines of the curcurbitaceae family (gourds) continue to produce their delightful fruit. Yes, zucchini, pumpkin, cucumber...even watermelon, all fruits. Huh!

From what I understand, Zhajiangmian originated in Beijing, but since I learned this dish from my mother who grew up in Xi'an and never lived in Beijing, I'm assuming she was making her own Sichuan-inspired hybrid. (There is a Chengdu Zajiangmian but the sauce looks much lighter than this one. I think it's closer to the Korean version, jjajangmyeon, but perhaps less sweet.)

This recipe is comprised of minced pork and diced vegetables; she would always do potatoes, carrots, and zucchini. I omit the first two and double the zucchini since my CSA usually starts to offload those by the pounds around now. The striking (goth) sauce comes from sweet black bean paste, though don't be fooled by the name, the dish is definitely savory and comes together in 20 minutes. 

tantan ramen

If you know me, you know I love soup. I often crave dan dan noodles, but sometimes wish it were soup! The Japanese have a solution for that: tan tan ramen. This is my quick fix for a delicious bowl of spicy noodle soup ready in 15 min as long as you have a couple specialty items on hand: asian sesame paste (made with toasted sesame instead of raw like tahini), doubanjiang (spicy bean paste), and zhacai.

persimmon brioche (overnight, no knead)

still learning how to shape my rolls so they actually look swirly on the inside ;D

happy 2026? been quite the sprint these last few months. i've been cooking a lot and staying off my computer as much as possible. actually, cooking for me has been almost compulsive recently– to the point where i've even started baking. anyone who knows me knows I am NOT a baker. baking is a science, and I am simply too undisciplined to follow a recipe to a T. however it does suck wasting ingredients just because you wanted to riff on someone's throughly researched instructions, so I looked around the internet and adapted this King Arthur Flour recipe to use persimmon instead of strawberry because i had two very ripe hachiyas practically bursting on my counter. 

soft, milky, spongey. great with the morning coffee.

mala pastrami, a xmas miracle

One of my most ambitious projects yet, and so so so worth the time, effort, and money spent. 

I did not end up going home for xmas with G this year because I was out of PTO and money, so left to my own devices I decided to make pastrami from scratch.

I preordered 5 pounds of brisket from my local butcher (shout out Meat Hook!) and brined it for 4 days in J's fridge (which is far less laden with Chinese preserves and condiments than mine). Then we lathered on a Sichuan-inspired rub and baked it for 14 hours on low temp overnight and the slab returned to our counter the next morning tanned like it had just vacationed in Greece. Finally, to revive its juices and ready it for the cutting board we gave it an hour long steam bath. I also made the rye bread, the tahini mustard, and sauerkraut all from scratch.