Posts tagged Appetizers
Asian-Style Peanut Butter Carrot Salad

 About two years ago, when I was in the midst of recipe-testing for my cookbook, I was looking for ideas for cold appetizers for lunch or dinner. I was doing a lot of stir-frying at the time and just wanted something quick with Asian flavors that I could just toss together. The result was this Asian-stye peanut butter carrot salad, inspired by a classic French dish.

This appetizer was inspired by the carottes râpées I had bookmarked from David Lebovitz a while back. Unlike American salads, this one is not ashamed to feature its one key ingredient without any other vegetables to share in the spotlight. Here, the carrot shreds are bigger, and instead of parsley, olive oil, and lemon, I modified the sauce for my cold sesame noodles to have the carrots coated with a slightly tangy peanut butter sauce.

But the spirit of the salad is still the same. You can eat them as a proper dinner appetizer or have them as a late night snack. You can use a fork when others are watching, or, when alone, just swipe them out of the bowl with your hands.

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Turkey and Mushroom Dumplings

Thanksgiving kind of snuck up on us this year, didn't it? It seemed like only yesterday that we were carving pumpkins and planning Halloween costumes. Now it's time to prepare oneself for a massive turkey-centric feast.

Earlier this week, to get into the Thanksgiving mood, I decided to make a big batch of turkey and mushroom dumplings. And when I make dumplings, I like to make a good number. I use up an entire back of 50-or-so dumpling wrappers and a pound of meat. While I wrap them, I put on a good podcast or catch up on a week's worth of The Daily Show, and kind of zone out. The whole process is all very Zen.

While pork is often the default meat for Chinese dumplings, I find that turkey is a great option for somewhat lighter but still meaty dumplings. (They're also great if you're cooking for family or friends who don't eat pork.) I also throw in a healthy amount of chopped shiitake mushrooms, which has a great umami-ness that pairs well with the flavor of the turkey.

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Round-Up: Easy Pumpkin Recipes

A few weekends ago I went pumpkin-picking and ended up bringing home a nice 10-pounder. I've been trying to think of a good way to cook it, so I decided to go through my archives to get re-inspired.

Here are some of my favorite easy and fun pumpkin recipes over the past few years. What have you made with pumpkins so far this season?

1. Pumpkin Hummus  (above) - One of my favorite ways to make hummus, using roasted pumpkins and pumpkin seed

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Honey Soy Chicken Wings

 I first made these honey soy chicken wings a few years ago when I was working long hours in San Francisco. I wanted a nice comforting dish that didn't involve standing in front of the stove for too long. And preferably something that could be reheated easily the next day. The result was these chicken wings, which take only 10 minutes of marinating time and 30 minutes in the oven. They are as delicious as they are easy, packed with flavor from the honey, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Try them out and let me know what you think!

I want to share a recipe that has always been dependable, through good days and bad. Whenever I get home late from work, and don't feel like doing much on the stove, I would marinate wings in a honey, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil mixture, then stick them in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Really, it can't be easier, and the flavor combination is tried-and-true. Sometimes I would add cayenne for a spicy kick.

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Mango Summer Rolls

You can feel it in the air. Summer's almost over. Don't get me wrong — I'm going to miss the laid-back summer vibe of the city more than the weather itself. And I'd take a cool, crisp fall day over a sticky, 90-degree summer day anytime. I just hate to think about what comes after fall.

I've been trying to keep summer going by making as many light, refreshing meals as possible. Last week I got a serious craving for Vietnamese summer rolls but didn't want to head out to a restaurant just for 2 or 3 appetizer-sized orders (or endure the funny looks I'd receive.) So I decided to make them at home instead, using some recently-purchased mangoes and fresh mint from the market.

To make the filling for mango summer rolls, you'll need mangoes, mint, and fresh vegetables that can be cut into strips such as carrots and cucumbers. (Lettuce works too.) You'll also need rice paper wrappers and some rice vermicelli, both available in any large Asian market. The rice vermicelli noodles get soaked in boiled water to soften, then are laid on top of the soaked rice wrapper along with the fresh ingredients.

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