COMFORT FOOD
Quick and Easy Taiwanese, Asian, and Everyday Dining in College Dorm
TIFFANY SHEN
Introduction
IalwaysrememberedhowexcitedIfeltholdingarecipeonaweekendandtriedtobakemy owndessert TheoutcomemightnotturnouttobethebestbutIhavelotsoffunmakingthe kitchenamess.
Ialwaysrememberedhowmymotherusedtolovebakingalotandshewenttobaking classeswithherfriendsandbakedherownbread.Shewouldsaythat“Foodyoumake yourselfisthehealthiest.”Iusedtobecomeherlittlekitchenhelperandwatchhowshe washedandcutthevegetables,andhowshemadethedishesthatthewholefamilyeats everyday.
Introduction
AsIgrewolder,Istartedtogetmyhandsdirtyandtrytomakemyownfood.Istartedtopeelthe appleandcutfruitonmyown Whenmymomordadisnotathome,IcookformysisterandI Everycookingexperienceformeisanexperiment,Ilearnedbymakingadjustmentsfromtimeto timeandhopinginthefutureImightbeabletoexpandthismini-cookbooktoafull-sizedcookbook
Thiscookbookisnotjustforme,butforpeoplethatgenuinelylovecooking(likeIdo!)andwant someinspirationfortheirnextdinner.TheserecipesarethedishesfromwhatIusedtoeatinTaiwan. SomeofthemarefrommymotherandtheotherisIlearnedmyselfinthecollegedormkitchen All oftheserecipesareindeedsimpleandeasytomakeaswellasnutritious.Thiscookbookissuitable forpeoplewhohaveahardtimethinkingofwhattheyshouldcookfordinnerandhopethis cookbookwillsparksomeinspiration.
TaiwaneseEggPancake
BreakfastshopsareeverywhereinTaiwan Specifically,atraditionalbreakfastshopnamedYonghe SoyMilkisalmosteverywherewherepeoplecangetbreakfastandevenmidnightsnackssincemany ofthemareopen24/7.Peoplecangetsandwiches,riceballs(fantuan 飯糰),soymilk(doujiang ⾖ 漿),ricemilk(miiang⽶漿),sesameflatbreadwithfrieddough(shaobing with youtiao 燒餅油條), andoneofmyalltimefavorites:TaiwaneseEggPancake(danbing 蛋餅).
ThisspecificTaiwaneseEggPancakerecipeisprettydifferentfromwhatpeoplerememberbutis whatmymotherusuallymakeseverymorningbeforeschool Manypeoplesaidthatfoodcanbring peoplebacktomemoryandIdonotbelievethatinthefirstplace.However,aftermakingthisrecipe bymyselfinthecollegedormandtakingabite,IimmediatelybringmyselfbacktothedayswhereI satinthecarat6:30ameverymorningandenjoyedhotTaiwaneseEggpancakesinalunchboxthat mymotherprepared.
ThegreatestdifferencebetweentheTaiwaneseEggPancakeinbreakfastshopsandthisrecipeisthe texture.Thebreakfastshopusesdough,whilethisrecipeusesthebattersothatthetextureissofter andhasabouncier(orQQ)texture.
Heyhandsome/beautiful,what wouldyouliketoeat?
Ingredients
AllPurposeFlour:½cup
SweetpotatostarchorCassavastarch:¼cup
Water:¾-1cup
2Eggs
SoysauceorOysterSauce:2tbsp(basedon preference!)
Make the Batter
1.Mixedtheflourwiththesweetpotatostarch
2.Addthewaterwiththeflourandstarchandmixed themtogether(untilthebatterisverysmoothwithno bumps)
*Tip:Pressthebatterwiththebackofaspoonto smoothoutanylumps.
Make the Pancake
3.Turnonthestoveinhighheatanddrizzlesomeoilintothe pan.
4.Pourasufficientamountofbatterintothepanandgently shakethepanuntilthebattercoversallthesurface(basedon yourpan’ssize)andcookfor1-2minsoruntilthebottomis stillandstartstolookgoldenbrownonbothsides
Step 3. Add the Egg
5.Usethespatulatoraisethepancakeabitandaddtheegg ontothesurfaceofthepan.Then,coverthepancakewiththe eggthatyoujustpoured
6 Untiltheeggstartstostill,fliptheomeletandcheckifthe eggsaredoneenough
7.Beforeserving,foldthepancakeinhalfandcuttheomelet intosmallerpieces,anddrizzlesomesoysauceover.
8.ReadytoServe!
Stir-friedTomatoandEggs
Stir-friedTomatoandEggsisaclassicChinesedishandoftenappearsonfamily’stablessinceitis quickandeasytomake ManyofthebentoshopsorrestaurantsinTaiwanallhavethisdishanditis myfavoritedishamongall.
Duringhighschool,Ioncehadaverygoodstir-friedtomatoandeggatabentorestaurantsoI decidedtomakemyown.Ipracticedmakingthisdishforanumberoftimesuntilmasteringitand thisisoneofthefirstdishesthatImakeoverandoveragain
Thecombinationofthesournessoftomatowiththetendernessofscrambledeggsmakethisdisha perfectperfectwithrice!Ifyoutakethisrecipeandincreasetheamountofwater,youcanmakeit intotomatobasednoodles,whichisverydeliciousaswell.
Ingredients
Tomato:onetomatoorabout300g
2Eggs
Water:150mL
Soysauce:1tbsp
Salt:½tsp
(optional)Sugar:1tsp
(optional)Ketchup:2tbsp
Tips:RecommendtoservewithRice (cookyourricebeforestartingtomake thedish)
Preparation
1.Dicethetomatoesintosmallerpieces
2 Crackopentheeggsandmixthemproperly
Fried the Eggs
1.Turnonthestoveandheatthepanoverhighheat.(Makesure thereisnowaterinside!)
2.Drizzle1Tbspofoilintothepan.
3.Makesuretheoilishotenough(putyourhandoverthepanto feeltheheat),andthenputtheeggsintothepan.
4.Astheeggsstarttoset,gentlyshakethepantomakesurethe liquidpartsoftheeggalsostarttosolidify.
5.Turnofftheheatandplacetheeggintheotherbowltomake suretheeggisnotovercooked.
Sauté the Tomatoes
6.Drizzletheoilandstarttheheatagain.
7 Pourthetomatoesintothepan(andbecarefulasyoudothis!) andstirfrygentlyuntilthetomatostartstoshrink(ifyouhavea lidyoucanputthelidontosteamthetomatoes).
8.Pourwaterintothepanandstartflavoring.
9.Poursalt,soysauce,peppersalt,ketchupandsugarintothe panandstirfrycompletely
10.Untilthetomatoesaresoftenedandtastethesaucetoseeifit issaltyenough.
Put Everything Together
11.Addtheeggbackintothepanandgentlystirfryuntilthe eggandthetomatoesmixperfectly.
12.Now,youarereadytoserve!
Oyakodon
OyakodonisaJapaneseChickenandEggRiceBowlandisverypopularamongJapanese households TwoorThreemonthsago,myfriendandIvisitedaJapaneserestaurantcalledIchibantei intheEastVillage.Sincethen,IhavealwayswantedtomakeOyakodonbymyselfanditturnedout tobeverysimpleanddelicious.ThisisoneoftherecipeswhereIexperimentedandlearnedthe dishesinthecollegedormonmyown.
Ingredients
Chickenthigh:onepieceor300g
2eggs
½onion
Water:300mL
Sukiyakisauce:3tbsp(youcanfinditin anyAsianorJapanesesupermarket)
salt/peppersalt:1tsp
Preparation
1.Dicethechickenthighinto2-3cmpieces
2.Crackopentheeggsandmixthemproperly (Tips:tomakethecolorappealing,youcan mixpartiallysothattherewillbesomewhite andyellowishcolorallover)
3.Slicetheonionintostrips
Sauté the Onion
1.Turnonthestoveandheatthepanoverhighheat.(Makesure thereisnowaterinside!)
2.Drizzle1Tbspofoilintothepan
3.Puttheonionsintothepanandstirfryuntiltheonionappears tobegoldenbrown
Sauté the Chicken
4.Addthechickenthighandalsostirfryuntilgoldenbrown
5 Addsomewaterintothepanandprepareforflavoring
6.AddsaltandpepperaswellastheSukiyakisauceintothepan. Makesuretheingredientsareboilingnicely. (Tips:youcandoyourdishesnow)
7 Aftertheingredientsarenicelycookedandtastethesauceto seeifitissaltyenough Ifitistoosweet,youcanaddmoresalt tobalanceoutthesweetness.
Drizzled the Egg
8.Drizzletheeggalloverthesauceandtheingredientsanddo notmoveanythinguntilitsets.
9.Aftertheeggsstarttosolidify,youcanfillupyourbowl withrice
10.Gentlypourtheingredientsandthesauceontotherice. 11.Readytoserve!
Stir-FriedGlassNoodle
Glassnoodles,knownascellophanenoodles,or dōngfěn 冬粉,isatranslucent-lookingnoodle madefromallkindsofstarches(suchasmung beanstarch,potatostarch,sweetpotatostarch, tapioca,orcannastarch).Glassnoodlescanbe foundinagreatvarietyofdishesinEastand SoutheastAsia:Korean’sJapchae(잡채),Thai’s PadWoonSen(ผดวนเสน),Chinese’sAnts ClimbingaTree(螞蟻上樹),andmore!
Today’smenu,stir-friedglassnoodles (specificallytheonemadewithmungbean starch),isaTaiwanesehomemadedishthat's simple,nutritious,andcolorful.Thereareso manywaystoapproachthisdishandthisrecipe ismyapproachtostir-friedglassnoodles(For instance,Iamnotabigfanofputtinggarlicin dishessoIleavethemout).
Thisrecipeisverysimpleandisperfectfor cleaningoutthefridge Therefore,therecipe opensforthereaderstoexperimentwiththe ingredientsinwhichonecanalterbyswitching andaddingtheirchoiceofvegetablesand protein.
Interestingly,substitutingtheglassnoodleswith regularflour-basednoodlesandusingthesame ingredientsandthesameflavoring,onecan createanotherwell-knowndishthatoften appearsonthediningtables–chowmein.
*Forgluten-freediets:replacesoysaucewith Tamariorlabeledgluten-freesoysauce,and replaceoystersaucewithveganmushroomstirfrysauce.
Ingredients
Glassnoodle ⿓⼝粉絲[Longkouvermicelli madewithmungbeanstarchnoodles]:
50g/18oz(abundle)
Carrots:1carrot(50g)
DriedshiitakeMushrooms(15gor6-8 small-to-mediumshiitakemushrooms)or80–
100gfreshshiitakemushrooms
OtherVegetable(choose2-3)
1zucchini(150g)
1cucumber(150g)
Cabbage(150g)
otherleafyvegatables(150g)
Choiceofprotein(choose1-2)
1egg
1pieceofchickenthigh(~125g)
Mincedporkorporkbelly(~125g)
Soysauce:2Tbsp
Oystersauce:1Tbsp
Oil:1Tbsp
Saltorpeppersalt(⅓tsp)
Water(200cc orabout¾cup)
Preparation
1.Soakthenoodlesanddriedmushroomsinroom temperaturewater30minsinadvance(ifyouuse freshmushrooms,skipthisstepandonlysoakthe noodles)
2 Whilewaitingthenoodlesandmushroomssoaked completely,washallthevegetables(carrots, zucchini,cabbage…)
3.Peelthecarrots.Slicethecarrots,zucchiniand mushroomsintostrips(about03cmthickness eachbutdonothavetobeprecise)
4 Sliceleafyvegetablesinto1centimeterstripsor chopthemintosmallpiecesthatcanbeeatenin onebite
5.Cuttheprotein(chickenthigh,porkbelly…etc.) intosmallpiecesorstripsthatcanbeeateneasily inonebite(ifyouusedmincedpork,thenyouskip thisstep)
6.Addasmallportionofsoysauceandoiltothe proteintomarinatethemeatbeforecooking
7.Cracktheeggintoabowlandwhipuntiltheegg whiteandeggyolkareperfectlymixed
Sauté Mushrooms & Proteins
1.Turnonthestoveandheatthepanoverhighheat (Makesurethereisno waterinside!)anddrizzle1Tbspofoilintothepan
2.Addmushroomsintothepanandstirfryfor30secondsoruntil mushroomsstarttoshrinkandappearalightgoldencolor.
3.Addthechoiceofprotein(porkorchicken)intothepanandstirfryfor 30seconds,untilthemeatturnsbrownontheoutside.
4.Pushalltheingredientstoonesideofthepanandcrackaneggintothe emptypartofthepan Astheeggstartstoset,gentlyusethespatulatochop theeggintopieces (Ifyouarenotplanningtoaddeggs,skipthisstep)
Sauté Vegetables
5.Addcarrotsintothepanandstirfryfor30secondsoruntilthecarrots shrinkandsoftenslightly
6.Addzucchini/cucumberintothepanandagainstirfryfor30seconds untilthevegetablesshrinkandsoftenslightly
7.Turnoffthestoveandaddallthecabbageorotherleafyvegetablesand stirfrygentlytomixtheingredients
8.Add1-2Tbspofwatertothepanandstartthestoveandcontinuewith thehighheat.Keepstirfryingtheingredientsgentlyuntilthecabbageand leafyvegetablesslightlyshrinkandsoften.
Flavoring
9.Turnofftheheatandstartflavoring.Add1tspofsaltorpeppersalt. Then,add2Tbspofsoysauceand1Tbspofoystersauce
10.Startthestoveagainandstirfryuntileverythingisstirredproperly. Addtherestofthewatertothepantocovereverythingandmakesure theingredientsareboilingnicelyinhighheat
[Tips:Doyourdisheswhilewaitingfortheingredientstobecooked]
11.Beforeaddingtheglassnoodles,doatastetesttoseeifitisgood enoughforyou.Ifnot,addsomesoysauceorpeppersaltwhenitisnot saltyenough.Addsomewaterwhenitistoosalty.
Add Glass Noodles
12.Addglassnoodlesandstiruntilthenoodleisperfectlycoveredwiththe sauce
[Tips:Addwaterifnecessary,especiallywhenthereisnotmuchsauceleft Forinstance,thesauceistoodryandtheglassnoodlesarenotabletobe cookedcompletely]
13.Cookfor1minsoruntiltheglassnoodlesbecometranslucent completelyandturnofftheheat.
14.Coverthepanwiththelidandletthenoodlessitfor2-3mins.
15.Readytoserve!!
Pasta
AlthoughpastadoesnotfallunderthecategoryofTaiwaneseandAsianfood,pastaisalsooneofmy comfortfoods Interestingly,pasta’searlierrootsarefromChina’sShangDynasty(1700-1100BC) andthendevelopedinItalyinthe4thcenturyBC
Inthisrecipe,Iadddicedzucchinialongwithmincedporkandonioninthepastasauce.Zucchiniis veryjuicysoitisperfecttobalanceoutthegreasytastewiththerestoftheingredients.Thisis anotherrecipethatIexperimentedonmyselfandmadesomechangesthateventuallyturnedouttobe verydelicious
Pastaisaperfectdishforapotluck,whichisverysimpletomakeandstilllookssophisticatedand delicious!
Ingredients
Tomato:onetomatoorabout150g ½onion
Mincedpork/dicedchickenthigh/chicken
breast(protein):150g
Pastasauceortomatosauce(basedon preference):150ml
Pasta:100g
Salt:1tbsp
WaterorPastawater:150ml (optional)Milk:50ml
Anykindofcheese(Parmesan,cheddar,and more!):basedonpreference (optional)zucchini/broccoli:100g
Preparation
1 Dicetomatoesandonionsintosmallpieces
2 Boilthewaterandaddpastaandasmallamount ofsalt(cookingtimedependsonthepastayou choosetouse-usuallyabout8-10mins)
3.Chopzucchiniinto0.5-1cmpiecesandbroccoli intoone-bitesize
Cooking Process
1.Turnonthestoveinhighheatanddrizzlesomeoil intothepan.
2.Addonionintothepanandsauteuntilonionturns goldenandthekitchensmellsprettygood
3 Addprotein(mincedporkordicedchicken)into thepanandsauteuntiltheoutsideturnsbrown
4.Addzucchiniandbroccoliintothepanandsaute untilthezucchiniisshrinking.
5.Addsaltandwaterintothepanandstirfrythem properly
6 Addpastasauceintothepanandcontinuetolet thematerialsimmers.
7.After10-15minsoruntileverythingiscooked perfectly,addpastaintothesauceandmixthem gently.
8 Asthesauceandthepastacombineperfectly, movethepastaintoanotherpanthatissuitablefor theoven.
9.Sprinklesufficientamountofcheese(basedon preference)andmovethepanintotheoven.
10.Bakefor10minsorwhenevercheesemelted,then youarereadytoserve!
ChickenMushroomSoup
ChickenMushroomsoupismycomfortfoodespeciallyduringthewinterorwheneverIcatchacold. MygrandmotherusuallymakesitduringtheLunarNewYearwithagiantblackpotterystockpot Shewillfillthewholepotwithlargeandbeautifulshiitakemushroomsalongwithawholechicken andsomechinesemedicine.
Thechickenmushroomsoupisverynutritiousandisperfecttohelprelievecoldsymptomsandboost theimmunesystem.WheneverIcatchacold,mymomwillcookchickenmushroomsoupwithlots ofvegetablestoprovideextranutrition
Forthisrecipe,IusetheTatungelectriccooker,whichistheclassicTaiwanesericecookerthatevery studentwhostudiesabroadmustbringwiththem.Thebenefitofusingaricecookerorelectric cookeristhatitisquickandconvenient,whereIonlyneedtoputalltheingredientsintothepotand wait.
Ingredients
Chickenthigh/wing/drumsticks:100g
DriedMushroom/ShitakeMushroom: 50g
Ginger:50g
Vegetables(carrots/cabbage…):150g
Water:8-10cups
Preparation
1.Soakdriedshiitakemushroomsinwaterfor30 minutesinadvance
2 Dicedchickenintosmallerpiecesandcookinhot waterforapproximately5minutes
3.Cutthegingerintoslices
4.Washandcutvegetablesintosmallerpieces
*Tips:Ifyouwantyoursouptobelessoily,youcan boilthechickeninhotwaterforafewsecondsbefore putthemintothericecooker
Cooking Process
1.Fillthepotwithalltheingredientsabove (mushroom/chicken/ginger/vegetables)
2.Addsomesaltandpepperasflavoring
3.Fillthepotwithwaterandcookfor30mins
4.Readytoserve!
TatungRiceCooker
SweetTangYuan
Lastly,toendthismini-cookbook,Idecidedtoputsomethingsweetattheveryend SweetTang YuanisatraditionalChinesedessertthatisusuallyeatenduringtheLanternFestival There’sa traditionwherepeopleeatSweetTangYuan(orglutinousriceballs)theywillgainayear.Since makingthisdessertisextremelyeasy,Ioftenmadethisdessertwithmyfamilyasakid.
Ingredients
GlutinousRiceFlour:100g
Water:75g
BrownSugar:50gorbasedon preference
Steps
1 Mixtheglutinousriceflourwithwaterand makeitintoadough
2.Seperatethedoughintosmallerpieces(15geach)androllthemintoaball.
3.Boilthewaterandaddbrownsugarinit.
4.Putthericeballsintothepotandcookuntil thericeballsfloat
5 Readytoserve!
COMFORT FOOD
Quick and Easy Taiwanese, Asian, and Everyday Dining in College Dorm